HE 

'72.1 

.N4- 

X 


THE  ATLANTIC  TELEGRAPH. 


REPORT  OF  THE  PROCEEDINGS 


AT    A 


BANQUET, 


GIVEN    TO 


MR.    CYRUS   W.    FIELD, 


BY    THE 

c 


CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE  OF  NEW-YORK, 

A 


AT  THE  METROPOLITAN  HOTEL,   NOVEMBER  15TH,   1866. 


i  of  the 


.opted  : 
;edings 

3LD,  at 

nbers  ; 
port  of 
m. 


tern. 


JOHN  W.  AMERMAN,  Printer,  No.  47  Cedar  Street,  N.  Y. 


THE  success  of  the  Atlantic  Telegraph  is  one  of  the 
great  events  of  the  nineteenth  century.  History  will 
point  to  it  as  one  of  the  landmarks  of  modern  progress. 
In  1858,  on  the  morning  after  the  landing  of  the  cable  at 
Valentia,  the  London  Times  said  :  u  Since  the  discovery  of 
COLUMBUS,  nothing  lias  been  done  in  any  degree  compara 
ble  to  the  enlargement  thus  given  to  the  sphere  of  human 
activity."  What  was  then  but  little  more  than  a  gleam  of 
the  future,  is  now  a  permanent  reality.  To  Americans 
especially  is  this  of  moment,  as  it  brings  the  New  World 
alongside  the  Old,  and  establishes  a  community  of  thought 
and  intelligence  between  the  two  hemispheres.  Hence 
they  have  watched  its  progress  with  deep  interest,  and  also 
with  pride,  for  the  part  in  it  borne  by  one  of  their  coun 
trymen,  who  was  the  foremost  in  the  enterprise,  who 
started  it  at  the  beginning,  and  stood  by  it  to  the  end. 
The  merchants  of  New- York,  proud  of  the  achievement  of 
one  of  their  own  number,  wished  to  do  him  honor.  Ac 
cordingly  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  appointed  a  com 
mittee  to  arrange  for  some  suitable  celebration  of  the  final 
triumph  of  the  Ocean  Telegraph,  which  should  also  be 
a  testimonial  to  its  projector.  After  consultation,  it 
was  concluded  that  the  best  form  it  could  take  was  that 
of  a  Public  Banquet,  as  that  would  enable  a  large  num 
ber  of  citizens  to  join  in  the  demonstration,  and  in  the 
congratulations  of  the  hour.  Accordingly,  the  following 
letter  was  addressed  to  Mr.  FIELD  : 

HE  7711 


CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW-YORK, 

NEW-YORK,  October  15,  1866. 
Dear  Sir : 

The  undersigned,  members  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  State 
of  New- York,  and  in  its  name,  desiring  publicly  to  express  their  joy  at 
the  successful  establishment  of  Telegraphic  communication  between  the 
Old  and  New  Worlds,  and  their  warm  congratulations  to  you  upon  the 
happy  result  of  the  enterprise  to  which  you  have  devoted  so  many  years 
of  patient  and  intelligent  labor,  request  your  acceptance  of  a  Banquet  at 
an  early  day,  that  they  may  hear  from  your  lips  the  story  of  this  great 
undertaking,  and  extend  to  you  in  person  their  cordial  greetings. 

We  are,  dear  Sir, 

Your  sincere  friends, 


A.  A.  Low, 
George  Opdyke, 
William  E.  Dodge, 
Jonathan  Sturges, 
Stewart  Brown, 
.Samuel  B.  Ruggles, 
Moses  Taylor, 
John  D.  Jones, 
John  A.  Stewart, 
Robert  B.  Minturn, 
Charles  H.  Marshall, 
Peter  Cooper, 
Robert  Lenox  Kennedy, 
Wilson  G.  Hunt, 
William  H.  Fogg, 
Edwin  D.  Morgan, 
Henry  R  Vail, 
Adam  Norrie, 
Alexander  M.  White, 
Wm.  Augustus  White, 
Alexander  W.  Bradford, 
Moses  H.  Grinnell, 
R.  W.  Wcston, 
George  Griswold, 
Eugene  Kelly, 
Paul  N.  Spoflbrd, 


Samuel  D.  Babcock, 
Benjamin  H.  Field, 
George  W.  Lane, 
Alexander  T.  Stewart, 
Horace  B.  Claflin, 
John  A.  Stevens, 
William  G.  Lambert, 
Henry  G.  Stebbins, 
W.  F.  Havemeyer, 
John  C.  Green, 
James  Low, 
Joseph  A.  Sprague, 
William  J.  Beebe, 
Charles  E.  Beebe, 
James  How, 
C.  Y.  S.  Roosevelt, 
Robert  L.  Stuart, 
Thomas  Suffern, 
N.  L.  McCready, 
Samuel  B.  Caldwell, 
Charles  S.  Baylis, 
Barnet  L.  Solomon, 
Morris  K.  Jesup, 
James  Brown, 
Stanton  Blake, 
Loring  Andrews, 


William  Butler  Duncan, 
H.  H.  Van  Dyck, 
John  J.  Cisco, 
Joseph  Sampson, 
Royal  Phelps, 
J.  Pierrepont  Morgan, 
Marshall  0.  Roberts, 
Lloyd  Aspinwall, 
Benjamin  Ay  mar, 
Norman  S.  Bentley, 
Charles  W.  Burton, 
Francis  Baker, 
Robert  H.  Berdell, 
Charles  Butler, 
Demas  Barnes, 
E.  Caylus, 
William  Chauncey, 
William  T.  Coleman, 
Joseph  J.  Comstock, 
N.  D.  Carlile, 
Joseph  A.  Dreyfous, 
Henry  A.  Dike, 
William  A.  Darling, 
E.  R.  Goodridge, 
William  R.  Garrison, 
Joseph  Gaillard,  Jr., 


John  Taylor  Johnston, 
Marshall  Lefferts, 
Frederick  S.  Winston, 
Thomas  Slocomb, 
Henry  Grinnell, 
S.  B.  Chittenden, 
Jackson  S.  Schultz, 
James  K.  Place, 
John  S.  Williams, 
William  H.  Guion, 
Henry  K.  Bogert, 
Arthur  Leary, 
William  E.  Dodge,  Jr., 
Paul  Spofford, 
Thomas  Rowe, 
Hugh  N.  Camp, 
Henry  V.  Hubbell, 
Sheppard  Gandy, 
William  T.  Blodgett, 
George  W.  Blunt, 
George  S.  Stephenson, 
Frederick  A.  Conkling, 
A.  G.  P.  Stokes, 
Frederick  Sturges, 
John  T.  Terry, 
D.  Van  Nostrand, 
A.  R.  Wetmore, 
James  Wads  worth, 
George  Cabot  Ward, 

To 

CYRUS  W.  FIELD, 


Henry  A.  Smythe, 
Solon  Humphreys, 
R.  H.  McCurdy," 
Elliott  F.  Shepard, 
James  Lorimer  Graham, 
George  F.  Thomae, 
H.  Dollner, 
E.  H.  R.  Lyman, 
Josiah  O.  Low, 
William  A.  Wheeler, 
George  A.  Fellows, 
M.  R.  Cook, 
Levi  P.  Morton, 
Edward  F.  Davison, 
Elliot  C.  Cowdin, 
Abram  Wakeman, 
Henry  M.  Taber, 
A.  S.  Barnes, 
Sinclair  Tousey, 
William  Orton, 
Charles  F.  Loosey, 
E.  A.  Quintard, 
Jacob  Wendell, 
S.  H.  Wales, 
Robert  T.  Woodward, 
William  H.  Webb, 
James  M.  Constable, 
Leonard  J.  Stiastny, 
George  W.  Dow, 

Esq. 


Frank  E.  Howe, 
Oliver  Hoyt, 
E.  S.  Jaffray, 
Charles  G.  Landon, 
Richard  Lathers, 
Erastus  Lyman, 
Charles  H.  Ludington, 
John  Linnemann, 
Marvin  J.  Merchant, 
Henry  E.  Moring, 
James  M.  Motley, 
Joseph  II.  Orvis, 
William  H.  Osborn, 
Isaac  G.  Pearson, 
Isaac  N.  Phelps, 
Daniel  L.  Ross, 
George  B.  Raymond, 
Lewis  Roberts, 
Henry  F.  Spaulding, 
Samuel  Sloan, 
William  H.  Stiles, 
Nathaniel  Sand, 
Martin  Bates,  Jr., 
James  M.  Brown, 
Hiram  Walbridge, 
Horace  Gray, 
Wm.  M.  Yermilye, 
Edward  C.  Donnelly, 
John  Riley. 


REPLY  OF  ME.  FIELD. 

NEW-YORK,  Oct.  30th,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter  request 
ing  my  acceptance  of  a  banquet  to  be  given  by  the  Chamber  of  Com 
merce  of  the  State  of  New-York,  to  celebrate  the  completion  of  the  At 
lantic  Telegraph. 


G 


Were  I  to  consult  my  own  feelings,  I  would  avoid  any  public  demon 
stration,  and  leave  the  Cable  to  speak  for  itself.  But  your  invitation  is 
so  kindly  expressed,  and  signed  by  so  large  a  number  of  our  most  influ 
ential  citizens,  that  I  cannot  refuse. 

I  accept,  therefore,  for  the  pleasure  it  will  afford  to  meet  so  many 
friends ;  and  also  for  the  opportunity  it  will  give  to  pay  a  deserved 
tribute  to  those  who  have  taken  part  in  this  enterprise  on  both  sides 
of  the  Atlantic. 

With  great  respect,  I  am,  Gentlemen, 

Very  truly  your  friend, 

CYRUS  W.  FIELD. 


To  Messrs. 

A.  A.  Low, 
George  Opdyke, 
William  E.  Dodge, 
Jonathan  Sturges,  • 
Stewart  Brown, 
Samuel  B.  Ruggles, 
Peter  Cooper, 
Alex.  T.  Stewart, 
Moses  Taylor, 
John  A.  Stevens, 


Marshall  0.  Roberts, 
Henry  Grin n ell, 
Wilson  G.  Hunt, 
John  J.  Cisco, 
Edwin  D.  Morgan, 
Joseph  Sampson, 
Jackson  S.  Schultz, 
James  Brown, 
C.  Y.  S.  Roosevelt, 
Henry  A.  Smythe, 


Robert  B.  Minturn, 
Moses  H.  Grin  n  ell, 
William  T.  Blodgett, 
John  C.  Green, 
William  H.  Osborn, 
William  H.  Webb, 
S.  B.  Chittenden, 
and  others. 


The  Banquet  was  given  at  the  Metropolitan  Hotel  on 
the  evening  of  the  15th  of  November.  The  occasion 
brought  together  a  company  of  three  hundred  gentlemen, 
embracing  a  very  large  proportion  of  our  most  distin 
guished  citizens — men  eminent  in  every  walk  of  life — 
bankers  and  merchants,  clergymen  and  lawyers,  and 
judges  of  the  courts,  authors,  and  artists,  and  editors, 
together  with  members  of  the  government  and  foreign 
ministers,  and  officers  of  the  army  and  navy.  A  list  of  the 
invited  guests,  who  were  present,  is  given  in  the  Appen 
dix. 

At  half-past  six  the  company  entered  the  hall. 


GRACE 
Was  said  by  the  Rev.  WILLIAM  ADAMS,  D.  D. 

Father  Almighty !  Thee  we  acknowledge  as  the  Maker 
of  the  Heavens  and  the  Earth.  The  Sea  also  is  Thine,  and 
all  that  passeth  through  the  waves  thereof.  Thou  hast 
made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth,  and  hast  determined  the  bounds  of 
their  inheritance.  At  all  times  we  bless  Thee  for  the  gift 
of  thy  Son  Jesus  Christ,  the  one  Redeemer  of  the  human 
family,  through  whom  we  receive  all  that  is  profitable  for 
the  life  that  now  is,  and  fulness  of  promise  for  the  life  that 
is  to  come.  We  render  thanks  to  Thee  for  all  arts  and 
inventions  by  which  the  common  welfare  of  the  human 
race  is  promoted ;  and  upon  this  occasion  we  desire 
devoutly  to  render  thanks  to  Thee  for  the  success  with 
which  Thou  hast  crowned  the  repeated  endeavors  of  Thy 
servants  and  children  in  uniting  together  the  hemispheres 
of  our  globe,  so  long  separated  by  the  great  and  wide 
sea  ;  and  as  Thy  favor  and  aid  were  invoked  at  the  outset 
of  this  undertaking,  so  would  we  now,  in  Thy  name,  con 
secrate  its  success  to  all  beneficent  ends,  to  friendly  com 
merce,  to  international  peace,  and  growth  and  honor,  and 
never  may  it  be  desecrated  by  one  word  of  evil  import. 
We  implore  Thy  blessing  upon  all  projects  that  look  for 
the  prosperity  of  nations  and  the  progress  of  the  world, 
even  down  to  the  time  when  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come, 
according  to  His  own  word,  "  even  as  the  lightning  cometh 
out  of  the  East  and  shineth  unto  the  West,"  to  reign  in 
everlasting  righteousness  and  peace  and  joy.  All  which 
we  ask  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  Amen. 


8 

At  nine  o'clock  Mr.  A.  A.  Low,  President  of  the  Cham 
ber,  called  the  company  to  order. 

INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 

MEMBERS  OF  THE  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE,  FELLOW- 
CITIZENS  AND  FRIENDS  :  I  suppose  it  is  pretty  well  under 
stood  that  the  interest  of  this  occasion  will  not  depend 
upon  any  thing  that  proceeds  from  the  chair.  Neverthe 
less,  it  will  be  a  relief  to  some  of  you  to  know  thus  early 
that  your  chairman  appreciates  the  general  sentiment  in 
this  regard,  and  will  strive  to  be  governed  by  it. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  committee  charged  with 
the  arrangements  for  this  entertainment,  the  duty  has 
been  assigned  me  of  extending,  in  the  first  instance,  a 
cordial  welcome  to  all  those  distinguished  guests  who 
have  come  from  far  and  near  to  grace  our  festive  board ; 
and,  in  the  language  of  the  card  issued  by  the  Chamber, 
"  to  exchange  congratulations  with  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD 
on  the  happy  result  of  his  efforts  in  the  great  work  of 
uniting  by  telegraph  the  Old  World  with  the  New." 

In  the  interest  of  good  order,  I  am  desired,  in  the 
second  place,  particularly  to  request  of  all  who  are  before 
me  a  strict  adherence  to  the  schedule  of  regular  toasts  as 
they  are  announced  by  the  chair.  And,  finally,  let  me 
ask  for  myself  that  measure  of  indulgence  which  is  due  to 
inexperience  in  your  presiding  officer,  who  is  honored 
with  this  position  because  of  his  official  relation  to  the 
Chamber,  and  not  out  of  a  paramount  regard  to  the  fitness 
of  things — the  adaptation  of  the  man  to  the  place. 

Letters  were  then  read,  expressing  regret  for  absence, 
from  the  President  of  the  United  States ;  from  Chief 
Justice  CHASE  ;  from  General  GRANT  ;  from  Sir  FREDERICK 
BRUCE,  the  British  Minister ;  from  Hon.  CHARLES  SUMNER, 


Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  the  Senate  on  Foreign  Re 
lations,  and  from  General  Dix,  our  newly-appointed  Min 
ister  to  France.  These  are  given  in  the  Appendix,  with 
letters  from  others  which  there  was  not  time  to  read. 

There  was  a  telegraph  instrument  in  the  room,  and 
despatches  were  received  during  the  evening  from  Mr. 
SEWARD,  Secretary  of  State,  and  other  members  of  the 
Cabinet  at  Washington ;  from  Lord  MONCK,  Governor- 
General  of  Canada ;  from  the  Governor  of  Newfoundland ; 
from  Capt.  Sir  JAMES  ANDERSON,  dated  at  London  the 
same  day  ;  and  from  others.  These  were  read  later  in  the 
evening. 

The  President  then  gave  the  first  regular  toast,  as 
follows : 

The  President  of  the  United  States — chief  magistrate  of  thirty-five 
millions  of  people — bound  in  Union  never  to  be  broken. 

Drank  standing,  the  band  playing  "  Hail  Columbia." 

The  second  toast : 

Her  Majesty  Queen  Victoria,  of  Great  Britain,  the  constant  friend  of 
America — honored  and  beloved  alike  in  our  country  and  in  her  own. 

Music,  u  God  save  the  Queen." 

On  introducing  the  third  regular  toast,  the  President 
spoke  as  follows : 

SPEECH  or  A.  A.  Low,  ESQ. 

GENTLEMEN  :  In  the  days  of  ancient  Rome,  when  the 
armies  of  the  Republic  were  extending  her  sway  over 
all  the  surrounding  countries,  and  her  Generals  returned 


10 

from  successful  war,  bearing  with  them  the  trophies  of 
victory,  it  was  their  custom  to  halt  outside  the  gates  of 
the  city  and  demand  a  triumphal  entry  !  When  this  was 
granted  by  the  Roman  Senate,  and  adequate  preparations 
had  been  made,  they  were  received  with  demonstrations 
of  applause — welcomed  by  popular  acclamation. 

Triumphal  arches,  erected  two  thousand  years  ago,  still 
survive  to  attest  the  grandeur  of  earlier  and  later  con 
quests,  and  with  what  imposing  ceremonies  the  heroes  of 
the  republic  and  the  empire  were  admitted  to  the  capital. 

So  it  has  been  in  all  times  ;  and  history  is  a  continuous 
record  of  homage  paid  to  military  genius — however  ag 
gressive,  however  destructive  of  the  rights  and  happiness 
of  man. 

Nor  has  the  tribute  of  respect  been  confined  to  those 
who  have  gained  success  in  war ;  nor  has  it  been  limited 
to  kings  and  queens,  or  the  commanders  of  victorious 
armies. 

In  all  countries  and  in  all  ages,  persevering,  coura 
geous,  faithful  and  devoted  men  of  every  calling  and  con 
dition  of  life,  have  been  found  to  command  the  admiration 
of  their  fellows  and  reap  the  reward  of  well  doing. 

The  sentiment  which  honored  martial  prowess  in  the 
days  of  ancient  Rome  exerts  the  same  power,  at  the  pres 
ent  time,  over  every  American  heart. 

In  our  own  day,  with  a  simplicity  more  truly  repub 
lican,  but  with  an  earnestness  not  less  sincere  than  that 
of  the  Roman  people,  we  welcome  to  our  cities  and  our 
homes  the  victorious  Generals,  who  by  their  valor  and 
their  success  have  re-established  for  ourselves  and  for  our 
children  the  principles  of  liberty  and  good  government 
throughout  our  land.  Nor  have  we  ever  been  backward 
in  awarding  to  men  of  high  position  in  the  State,  or  to 


11 

men  distinguished  as  instructors  and  benefactors  of  the 
race,  the  honors  that  are  justly  their  due.  In  days  gone 
by  it  has  been  our  pride  and  our  pleasure  to  welcome 
with  such  civilities  as  we  know  how  to  render,  those  who 
have  been  raised  to  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the 
people,  and  alike  the  prince  and  the  peer  of  other  realms. 

But  we  are  not  met  here  now  to  exalt  president,  po 
tentate,  prince  or  titled  lord ;  albeit  the  friend  in  whose 
honor  we  are  assembled,  is  known  by  a  Christian  name 
which  seems  to  have  been  prophetic  of  his  future  renown 
as  a  king  among  men — and  his  chief  title  to  our  regard 
comes  to  us  through  a  long  line  of  descent ;  not  that 
genealogical  line,  which,  proceeding  from  father  to  son, 
can  be  distinctly  traced — uniting  family  with  family — but 
that  line,  which,  descending  from  Yalentia  on  the  coast 
of  Ireland,  and  stretching  two  thousand  miles  across  the 
bed  of  the  Atlantic  to  Newfoundland — reaches  "Heart's 
Content" — uniting  continent  with  continent — nation  with 
nation — Europe  with  America — bringing  all  into  the  most 
intimate  relations,  and  securing  to  each  other  instant 
knowledge  of  every  thing  that  is  of  mutual  concern. 
(Applause.) 

We  have  met  not  to  celebrate  a  victory  of  arms  on  land 
or  sea,  not  the  acquisition  of  conquered  provinces,  an 
nexed  to  our  national  domain  ;  but  we  have  met,  rather, 
to  commemorate  an  event  of  vast  international  interest — 
an  epoch  in  the  progress  of  science — the  attainment  of  a 
great  commercial  boon — a  triumph  over  obstacles  hitherto 
deemed  insurmountable.  We  are  met  to  celebrate  an 
achievement  that  reflects  much  credit  upon  the  handicraft 
of  the  mechanic,  on  the  skill  and  capacity  of  the  sailor, 
on  the  intelligence  and  liberality  of  the  merchant,  and 
elicits  our  admiration  of  the  electricians  who  have  artfully 
explored  the  occult  laws  of  nature,  and,  seizing  subtle 


12 

powers  hitherto  but  partially  developed — have  converted 
them  to  the  use  of  man — giving  him  a  new  sense  of  what 
Omnipresence  is. 

We  have  come  here  to  acknowledge  the  aid  imparted 
to  the  Atlantic  Telegraph  Company  by  the  Governments 
of  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  through  the  en 
lightened  action  of  their  respective  and  intelligent  states 
men  ;  to  own  the  important  part  taken  by  the  naval  ships 
of  both  countries ;  the  generous  pecuniary  support 
rendered  by  the  wealthy  merchants  and  factors  of  Great 
Britain ;  and,  above  all,  to  recognise  the  goodness  of  the 
Divine  Being  who  has  crowned  the  labors  of  all  with 
abundant  success — who  has  vouchsafed  such  wonderful 
gifts  to  man!  (Applause.) 

It  is  related  in  the  volume  recently  published  from  the 
pen  of  my  friend,  Rev.  Dr.  FIELD,  who  is  here  present,  that 
in  the  year  1853,  Mr.  F.  N.  GISBORNE,  who  was  then  the 
chief  officer  of  the  Nova  Scotia  Telegraph  Company,  con 
ceived  the  idea  and  entered  upon  the  work  of  connecting 
u  St.  John's,  the  most  easterly  port  of  America,  with  the 
main  continent." 

After  initiating  a  vigorous  effort  with  the  aid  of  other 
parties,  he  failed  in  this,  and  coming  to  New- York,  sought 
the  ear  and  the  interest  of  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  who  em 
barked  with  all  his  enthusiasm  in  the  enterprise.  Mr.  FIELD 
summoned  to  his  side  PETER  COOPER,  MOSES  TAYLOR,  M.  0. 
ROBERTS  and  CHANDLER  WHITE,  and  on  the  decease  of  the 
last  named,  WILSON  G.  HUNT,  and  as  counsellor  and  aid, 
his  brother,  DAVID  DUDLEY  FIELD.  These  representative 
men  of  our  mercantile  community  grappled  the  under 
taking  with  their  accustomed  energy,  devoting  to  it  time 
and  money  without  stint.  I  need  not  dwell  upon  the 
details,  for  they  are  all  matters  of  record.  The  arduous 
and  costly  work  was  accomplished.  A  road  was  cut 


13 

through  400  miles  of  wilderness,  and  after  two  attempts 
in  1855  and  1856,  a  cable,  procured  in  England,  was  laid 
across  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  This  done,  Mr.  FIELD, 
with  the  concurrence  of  his  associates,  embarked  for  Eng 
land  to  secure  needed  co-operation  in  the  plan — projected 
by  him  from  the  first — of  extending  the  line  across  the 
Atlantic  Ocean.  Deep  sea  soundings  had  already  been 
taken  by  Lieutenant  BERRTMAN,  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  and 
subsequently  they  were  continued  by  Commander  DAY 
MAN,  of  H.  B.  M.  ship  "  Cyclops." 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  the  larger  enterprise 
could  only  or  best  be  conducted  under  a  charter,  and  with 
a  new  company  to  be  formed  in  England.  There  expe 
rience  in  submarine  telegraphy,  skill  in  the  manufacture 
of  cables,  pecuniary  means  and  ability  to  cope  with  the 
difficulties  of  the  undertaking,  were  at  ready  command. 

The  Atlantic  Telegraph  Company  was  formed  with  a 
capital  of  £350,000.  In  the  division  of  the  stock,  Mr. 
FIELD  claimed  £100,000  for  the  United  States,  and  was 
awarded  £88,000,  all  of  which  he  paid  for  in  sterling 
money.  It  was  an  international  enterprise,  and  he  would 
have  his  countrymen  share  in  the  honors  and  emoluments 
it  promised  to  yield.  The  sequel  proved  that  his  own 
faith  was  larger  than  that  of  the  many,  and  he  was  content 
to  bear  a  heavy  burden — from  which,  at  home,  he  could 
find  relief  only  in  part. 

You  are  familiar  with  what  occurred  prior  to  the  year 
1858,  when,  after  three  successive  failures,  the  "Agamem 
non  "  and  "Niagara,"  parting  in  mid-ocean,  delivered 
their  respective  ends  of  the  cable  at  Yalentia  and  Trinity 
Bay,  and  with  what  enthusiastic  applause  the  announce 
ment  of  success  was  welcomed  throughout  our  land.  A 
grand  procession,  a  grand  dinner,  splendid  fireworks,  and 
a  partial  conflagration  of  the  City  Hall — sparing,  for  a 


14 

time,  all  below  the  cupola — were  the  distinguishing  fea 
tures  of  our  Metropolitan  display.  The  Common  Council 
of  the  city  and  Chamber  of  Commerce  issued  medals  to 
meritorious  officers  and  engineers  of  the  United  States 
Navy  who  were  engaged  in  the  work,  which,  we  then 
thought,  was  happily  concluded.  It  was  only  a  tempo 
rary  success,  and  our  exultation  was  premature  and  brief. 
Faintly  the  cable  whispered  forth  "the  glad  tidings"  of 
peace  among  men  ;  for  a  few  weeks  gave  out  other  signs 
of  vitality,  and  then  became  subject  to  the  law  of  death ! 
To  the  doubting  multitude  this  was  a  verdict  of  despair  ; 
to  the  faithful  few,  the  promise  of  a  new  and  better  life. 
The  messenger  had  fulfilled  its  mission — going  before  as 
a  herald  of  the  coming  event  which  was  to  electrify  the 
world,  and  hold  it  in  wondering  and  perpetual  awe! 
(Cheers.) 

The  general  discouragement  produced  by  the  failure 
of  1858,  the  necessity  for  more  careful  preparation  for 
another  attempt,  and  the  breaking  out  of  civil  war  in  the 
United  States,  put  off  the  sailing  of  the  next  expedition 
to  the  year  1865.  The  great  problem  of  the  age  was 
now  to  be  solved  ;  and  the  mammoth  ship,  whose  mission, 
before,  no  one  could  interpret,  was  at  the  same  time  to 
vindicate  the  Providential  purpose  of  her  own  creation. 
Bearing  in  her  capacious  hold  a  burden,  the  like  of  which, 
ship  of  ancient  or  modern  times  had  never  before  carried, 
the  "  Great  Eastern/'  sailed  on  her  appointed  voyage. 
Twelve  hundred  miles  of  cable  were  fairly  laid,  and  then 
it  parted.  But  the  good  ship  did  not  forsake  the  lost 
child  of  science  and  art  without  divers  shakes  of  her 
stretched  out  arm,  nor  without  leaving  her  own  "Buoy" 
as  the  assured  pledge  of  her  early  return !  And  how  skill 
fully,  how  faithfully  was  the  pledge  redeemed !  Another 
year  secured  the  final  triumph.  All  the  incidents  relat- 


15 

ing  to  the  expedition  of  1866,  are  fresh  in  your  recol 
lection. 

One  cable  being  safely  laid,  the  recovery  of  the  other 
was  determined  on.  After  three  weeks  of  diligent  search 
and  unremitting  effort  it  was  restored  to  the  arms  of  the 
ship  that  bore  it,  and  to  the  hands  of  those  who  had  cease 
lessly  watched  for  its  appearance.  Darkness  rested  upon 
the  surrounding  waters,  and  sleepless  eyes  were  turned 
with  anxious  look  to  the  electrician  who  applied  the  mag 
netic  test.  All  at  once  the  countenances  of  the  waiting 
crowd  were  lighted  up  ;  and  in  an  instant  the  story  of  its 
rescue  flashing  through  veins  now  charged  with  new  life, 
reached  Yalentia :  and  behold,  it  was  the  bright  morning 
of  another  day  !  (Loud  applause.) 

In  every  effort  prior  to  that  of  1865,  the  naval  ships  of 
Great  Britain  and  of  the  United  States  were  joint  actors, 
and  the  partial  success  of  1858  was  achieved  under  their 
united  auspices.  From  that  period  the  co-operation  of 
our  own  navy  was  withdrawn,  and  the  President  of  the 
United  States  gracefully  yielded  to  the  Sovereign  of 
Great  Britain  the  glory  of  the  final  triumph.  It  is  due 
to  candor  to  say  that  many  are  present  who  strove  to  have 
it  otherwise. 

In  after  times  there  will  be  no  brighter  page  in  Eng 
lish  history  than  that  which  associates  the  laying  of  the 
Atlantic  Telegraph  with  the  reign  of  Queen  VICTORIA. 
The  discovery  of  America  in  1492,  gave  to  Queen  ISABELLA 
of  Spain  "  the  brightest  jewel  of  her  crown,"  and  made 
the  name  of  COLUMBUS  immortal !  In  the  annals  of  our 
country,  1866  will  be  alike  memorable  as  the  year  for 
uniting  the  two  continents  by  an  indissoluble  bond ;  our 
fellow-citizen  and  honored  guest  being  the  prime  mover 
aild  acknowledged  leader  in  the  work.  (Applause.) 

The  British  Government  lost  no  time  in  rewarding  the 


16 

meritorious  services  of  all  those  who,  being  subjects  of 
the  Queen,  were  deemed  worthy  of  public  recognition. 
The  honor  of  knighthood  was  at  once  conferred  on  the 
gallant  and  accomplished  sailor,  Capt.  JAMES  ANDERSON, 
so  favorably  known  to  our  countrymen ;  (applause  ;)  on 
Professor  THOMSON,  the  distinguished  electrician;  on 
Messrs.  GLASS  and  CANNING,  manager  and  engineer,  re 
spectively,  of  the  Telegraph  Maintenance  Company  ;  on 
Mr.  C.  M.  LAMPSON,  a  native  of  the  United  States,  and 
steadfast  supporter  of  the  enterprise,  and  Mr.  DANIEL 
GOOCH,  Chairman  of  the  Great  Ship  Company,  "which 
has  finally  completed  the  design." 

It  was  the  office  of  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  to  organize  and 
combine  all  the  forces  that  were  requisite  to  conduct  this 
enterprise  from  its  inception  to  the  final  and  glorious  issue. 
To  it  he  devoted  twelve  years  of  his  life,  all  his  energy  and 
all  his  fortune.  Forty  times  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
for  its  sake  ;  and  as  Captain,  now  Sir  JAMES  ANDERSON,  in 
a  recent  letter  says,  uhe  has  worked  hard,  and  sacrificed 
the  repose  of  his  home  and  the  repose  of  every  one  else 
who  could  bear  influence  on  his  darling  scheme." 
(Cheers.) 

I  venture  to  say  there  is  not  an  emotion  known  to  the 
human  soul — whether  of  joy  or  sorrow,  of  pleasure  or 
pain,  of  disappointment  following  high-wrought  expecta 
tion,  of  anxiety  bordering  on  despair,  of  hope  mounting  to 
the  region  of  sublimest  faith — that  during  these  twelve  last 
years  has  not  entered  into  the  experience  of  our  long- 
tried  and  well-proved  champion.  (Loud  applause.) 

"We  may  fairly  claim  that  from  first  to  last  CYRUS  W.  FIELD 

has  been  more  closely,  more  consistently  identified  with 

the  Atlantic  Telegraph  than  any  other  living  man ;  and  his 

name  and  his  fame,  which  the  Queen  of  Great  Britain  has 

justly  left  to  the  care  of  the  American  Government  and  peo- 


17 

pie,  will  be  proudly  cherished  and  gratefully  honored.  We 
are  in  daily  use  of  the  fruits  of  his  labors ;  and  it  is  meet 
that  the  men  of  commerce,  of  literature  and  law,  of  science 
and  art — of  all  the  professions  that  impart  dignity  and 
worth  to  our  nature,  should  come  together  and  give  a 
hearty,  joyous,  and  generous  welcome  to  this  truly  chival 
rous  son  of  America. 

I  propose  the  health  of  our  guest : 

"  CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  the  projector  and  main-spring  of  the  Atlantic 
Telegraph ;  while  the  British  Government  justly  honors  those  who  have 
taken  part  with  him  in  this  great  work  of  the  age,  his  fame  belongs  to 
us,  and  will  be  cherished  and  guarded  by  his  countrymen." 

As  Mr.  FIELD  rose  to  reply,  he  was  received  with  long- 
continued  applause,  the  whole  company  rising  to  their 
feet  and  cheering  with  the  utmost  enthusiasm.  When 
these  demonstrations  had  subsided,  he  spoke  as  follows : 

SPEECH  OF  MR.  FIELD. 

MR.  PRESIDENT  :  I  thank  you  for  the  kind  words  which 
you  have  spoken ;  and  you,  gentlemen,  for  the  manner  in 
which  you  have  responded  to  them.  It  is  pleasant  to 
come  home  after  a  long  absence,  and  especially  when  a 
warm  welcome  meets  us  at  the  door.  It  is  pleasant  to 
see  familiar  faces  and  hear  familiar  voices  ;  to  be  among 
old  neighbors  and  friends,  and  to  be  assured  of  their  re 
gard  and  approbation.  And  now  to  receive  such  a  tribute 
as  this  from  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  New- York,  and 
from  this  large  array  of  merchants  and  bankers  and  emi- 
ment  citizens,  is  very  grateful  to  my  heart. 

The  scene  before  me  awakens  mingled  recollections. 
Eight  years  ago  the  Atlantic  Telegraph  had  won  a  brief 
success ;  and  in  this  very  hall  we  met  to  celebrate  our 

2 


18 

victory.  Alas  for  our  hopes !  How  soon  was  our  joy 
turned  into  mourning.  That  very  day  the  cable  departed 
this  life.  It  went  out  like  a  spark  in  the  mighty  waters. 
So  suddenly  it  died,  that  many  could  not  believe  that  it 
ever  lived.  To-night  we  meet  to  rejoice  in  a  success 
which  I  believe  will  be  permanent.  But  many  who  were 
with  us  then  are  not  here.  Capt.  HUDSON  is  gone  to  his 
grave.  WOODHOUSE,  the  English  engineer,  who  was  with 
our  own  EVERETT  in  the  "  Niagara,"  sleeps  in  his  native 
island.  Others  who  took  an  early  part  in  the  work,  are 
no  more  among  the  living.  Lieut.  BERRYMAN,  who  made 
the  first  soundings  across  the  Atlantic,  died  for  his  country 
in  the  late  war,  on  board  his  ship,  off  Pensacola.  His 
companions,  Lieut.  STRAIN,  the  hero  of  the  ill-fated  Darien 
expedition,  and  Lieut.  THOMAS,  both  are  gone.  So  are 
JOHN  W.  BRETT,  my  first  associate  in  England,  SAMUEL 
STATHAM,  Sir  WILLIAM  BROWN,  the  first  Chairman  of  the 
Atlantic  Telegraph  Company,  and  many,  many  others. 
My  first  thought  to-night  is  of  the  dead ;  and  my  only 
sorrow,  that  those  who  labored  so  faithfully  with  us,  are 
not  here  now  to  share  our  triumph. 

In  the  letter  inviting  me  to  accept  of  this  Banquet,  you 
expressed  a  wish  to  "  hear  from  my  lips  the  story  of  this 
great  undertaking."  That,  Sir,  would  be  a  very  long 
story,  much  beyond  your  patience  and  my  strength.  I 
should  have  to  take  you  forty  times  across  the  Atlantic, 
and  half  as  many  to  Newfoundland.  Still,  I  will  en 
deavor,  in  a  brief  way,  to  give  you  some  faint  outline  of 
the  fortunes  of  this  enterprise. 

It  is  nearly  thirteen  years  since  half  a  dozen  gentlemen 
of  this  city  met  at  my  house  for  four  successive  evenings, 
and  around  a  table  covered  with  maps  and  charts,  and 
plans  and  estimates,  considered  a  project  to  extend  a  line 
of  telegraph  from  Nova  Scotia  to  St.  John's  in  Newfound- 


19 

land,  thence  to  be  carried  across  the  ocean.  It  was  a 
very  pretty  plan  on  paper.  There  was  New-York,  and 
there  was  St.  John's,  only  about  1,200  miles  apart.  It 
was  easy  to  draw  a  line  from  one  point  to  the  other — 
making  no  account  of  the  forests  and  mountains,  and 
swamps  and  rivers  and  gulfs,  that  lay  in  our  way.  Not 
one  of  us  had  ever  seen  the  country,  or  had  any  idea  of 
the  obstacles  to  be  overcome.  We  thought  we  could 
build  the  line  in  a  few  months.  It  took  two  years  and  a 
half.  Yet  we  never  asked  for  help  outside  our  own  little 
circle.  Indeed,  I  fear  we  should  not  have  got  it  if  we 
had — for  few  had  any  faith  in  our  scheme.  Every  dollar 
came  out  of  our  own  pockets.  Yet  I  am  proud  to  say  no 
man  drew  back.  No  man  proved  a  deserter  ;  those  who 
came  first  into  the  work  have  stood  by  it  to  the  end.  Of 
those  six  men,  four  are  here  to-night :  Mr.  PETER  COOPER, 
MOSES  TAYLOR,  MARSHALL  0.  ROBERTS,  arid  myself.  (Ap 
plause.)  My  brother  DUDLEY  is  in  Europe,  and  Mr. 
CHANDLER  WHITE  died  in  1856,  and  his  place  was  sup 
plied  by  Mr.  WILSON  G.  HUNT,  who  is  also  here.  Mr. 
EGBERT  W.  LOWBER  was  our  Secretary.  To  these  gentle 
men,  as  my  first  associates,  it  is  but  just  that  I  should  pay 
my  first  acknowledgments. 

From,  this  statement  you  perceive  that  in  the  begin 
ning  this  was  wholly  an  American  enterprise.  (Applause.) 
It  was  begun,  and  for  two  years  and  a  half  was  carried  on, 
solely  by  American  capital.  Our  brethren  across  the  sea 
did  not  even  know  what  we  were  doing  away  in  the 
forests  of  Newfoundland.  Our  little  company  raised  and 
expended  over  a  million  and  a  quarter  of  dollars  before  an 
Englishman  paid  a  single  pound  sterling.  (Cheers.)  Our 
only  support  outside  was  in  the  liberal  charter  and  steady 
friendship  of  the  Government  of  Newfoundland,  for  which 
we  were  greatly  indebted  to  Mr.  E.  M.  ARCHIBALD,  then 


20 

Attorney-General  of  that  colony,  and  now  British  Consul  in 
New-York.  And  in  preparing  for  an  ocean  cable,  the 
first  soundings  across  the  Atlantic  were  made  by  Ameri 
can  officers  in  American  ships.  (Applause.)  Our  scientific 
men — MORSE,  HENRY,  BACHE  and  MAURY — had  taken 
great  interest  in  the  subject.  The  U.  S.  ship  Dolphin 
discovered  the  Telegraphic  Plateau  as  early  as  1853  ;  and 
the  U.  S.  ship  Arctic  sounded  across  from  Newfoundland 
to  Ireland  in  1856,  a  year  before  H.  M.'s  ship  Cyclops, 
under  command  of  Capt.  DAYMAN,  went  over  the  same 
course.  This  I  state,  not  to  take  aught  from  the  just 
praise  of  England,  but  simply  to  vindicate  the  truth  of 
history. 

It  was  not  till  1856 — ten  years  ago — that  the  enterprise 
had  any  existence  in  England.  In  that  summer  I  went 
to  London,  and  there,  with  Mr.  JOHN  W.  BRETT,  Mr.  (now 
Sir)  CHARLES  BRIGHT  and  Dr.  WHITEHOUSE,  organized  the 
Atlantic  Telegraph  Company.  Science  had  begun  to 
contemplate  the  possibility  of  such  an  enterprise ;  and  the 
great  FARADAY  cheered  us  with  his  lofty  enthusiasm. 
Then  for  the  first  time  was  enlisted  the  support  of  English 
capitalists;  and  then  the  British  Government  began  that 
generous  course  which  it  has  continued  ever  since — offer 
ing  us  ships  to  complete  soundings  across  the  Atlantic, 
and  to  assist  in  laying  the  cable,  and  an  annual  subsidy 
for  the  transmission  of  messages.  The  Expedition  of  1857 
and  the  two  Expeditions  of  1858  were  joint  enterprises, 
in  which  the  Niagara  and  the  Susquehanna  took  part  with 
the  Agamemnon,  the  Leopard,  the  Gorgon,  and  the  Val 
orous  ;  and  the  officers  of  both  navies  worked  with  gen 
erous  rivalry  for  the  same  great  object.  The  capital— 
except  one  quarter,  which,  as  you  have  said,  was  taken  by 
myself — was  subscribed  wholly  in  Great  Britain.  The 
Directors  were  almost  all  English  bankers  and  merchants, 


21 

though  among  them  was  one  gentleman  whom  we  are 
proud  to  call  an  American,  Mr.  GEORGE  PEABODY,  a  name 
honored  in  two  countries,  since  he  has  showered  his 
princely  benefactions  upon  both — who,  though  a  resident 
for  nearly  forty  years  in  London,  where  he  has  gained 
abundant  wealth  and  honors,  still  clings  to  the  land  of  his 
birth ;  declining  the  honor  of  a  Baronetcy  of  the  United 
Kingdom  to  remain  a  simple  American  citizen.  (Loud 
cheers.) 

With  the  history  of  the  Expeditions  of  1857-8  you  are 
familiar.  On  the  third  trial  we  gained  a  brief  success. 
The  cable  was  laid,  and  for  four  weeks  it  worked,  though 
never  very  brilliantly,  never  giving  forth  such  rapid  and 
distinct  flashes  as  the  cables  of  to-day.  It  spoke,  though 
only  in  broken  sentences.  But  while  it  lasted,  no  less 
than  400  messages  were  sent  across  the  Atlantic.  You 
all  remember  the  enthusiasm  which  it  excited.  It  was  a 
new  thing  under  the  sun,  and  for  a  few  weeks  the  public 
went  wild  over  it.  Of  course,  when  it  stopped,  the  re 
action  was  very  great.  People  grew  dumb  and  sus 
picious.  Some  thought  it  was  all  a  hoax ;  and  many 
were  quite  sure  that  it  never  worked  at  all.  That  kind 
of  odium  we  have  had  to  endure  for  eight  years,  till 
now,  I  trust,  we  have  at  last  silenced  the  unbelievers. 

After  the  failure  of  1858  came  our  darkest  days. 
When  a  thing  is  dead,  it  is  hard  to  galvanize  it  into  life. 
It  is  more  difficult  to  revive  an  old  enterprise  than  to 
start  a  new  one.  The  freshness  and  novelty  are  gone,  and 
the  feeling  of  disappointment  discourages  further  effort. 

Other  causes  delayed  a  new  attempt.  This  country 
had  become  involved  in  a  tremendous  war ;  and  while 
the  nation  was  struggling  for  life,  it  had  no  time  to1  spend 
in  foreign  enterprises. 

But  in  England  the  project  was  still  kept  alive.     The 


22 

Atlantic  Telegraph  Company  kept  up  its  organization. 
It  had  a  noble  body  of  directors,  who  had  faith  in  the 
enterprise,  and  looked  beyond  its  present  low  estate  to 
ultimate  success.  I  cannot  name  them  all,  but  I  must 
speak  of  our  Chairman — the  Right  Honorable  JAMES 
STUART  WORTLEY,  a  gentleman  who  did  not  join  us  in 
the  hour  of  victory,  but  in  what  seemed  the  hour  of 
despair — after  the  failure  of  1858 — and  who  has  been  a 
steady  support  through  all  these  years.  The  Deputy 
Chairman,  Mr.  LAMPSON,  has  been  made  a  Baronet  for  his 
connection  with  the  enterprise.  Our  faithful  Secretary, 
Mr.  SAWARD,  too,  did  much  to  keep  alive  the  interest  of 
the  British  public. 

All  this  time  the  science  of  submarine  telegraphy  was 
making  progress.  The  British  Government  appointed  a 
Commission  to  investigate  the  whole  subject.  It  was 
composed  of  eminent  scientific  men  and  practical  engi 
neers — GALTON,  WHEATSTONE,  FAIRBAIRN,  BIDDER,  YARLEY, 
LATIMER  and  EDWIN  CLARK — with  the  Secretary  of  the 
Company,  Mr.  SAWARD — names  to  be  held  in  honor  in 
connection  with  this  enterprise,  along  with  those  of  other 
English  engineers,  such  as  STEPHENSON  and  BRUNEL,  and 
WHITWORTH  and  PENN,  and  LLOYD  and  JOSHUA  FIELD,  who 
gave  time  and  thought  and  labor  freely  to  this  enterprise, 
refusing  all  compensation.  This  Commission  sat  for 
nearly  two  years,  and  spent  many  thousands  of  pounds  in 
experiments.  The  result  was  a  clear  conviction  in  every 
mind  that  it  was  possible  to  lay  a  telegraph  across  the 
Atlantic.  Science  was  also  being  all  the  while  applied 
to  practice.  Submarine  cables  were  laid  in  different 
seas — in  the  Mediterranean,  in  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Per 
sian  Gulf.  The  latter  was  laid  by  my  friend,  Sir  CHARLES 
BRIGHT,  who  thus  rendered  another  service  to  his  country, 


23 

and  gained  a  fresh  title  to  the  honor  which  was  conferred 
upon  him  for  his  part  in  laying  the  first  Atlantic  cable. 

When  the  scientific  and  engineering   problems  were 
solved,  we  took  heart  again,  and  began  to  prepare  for  a 
fresh   attempt.     This  was  in    1863.     In  this  country — 
though  the  war  was  still  raging — I  went  from  city  to 
city,  holding  meetings  and  trying  to  raise  capital,  but 
with  poor  success.     Men  came  and  listened,  and  said,  "It 
was  all  very  fine,"  and  "  hoped  I  would  succeed,"  but  did 
nothing.     In  one  of  the   cities   they  gave    me  a  large 
meeting,    and   passed   some    beautiful    resolutions,    and 
appointed  a  committee  of  "  solid  men  "  to  canvass  the 
city,  but  I  did  not   get  a  solitary  subscriber !     In   this 
city  I  did   better,  though  money  came  by  the  hardest, 
By  personal   solicitations,  encouraged   by  you,   sir,   and 
other   good   friends,    I    succeeded   in  raising   £70,000. 
Since  not  many  had  faith,  I  must  present  one  example  to 
the  contrary,  though  it  was  not  till  a  year  later.     When 
almost  all  deemed  it  a  hopeless  scheme,  one  gentleman 
of  this  city  came  to  me,  and   purchased   stock  of  the 
Atlantic  Telegraph  Company  to  the  amount  of  $100,000. 
That    was    Mr.    LORING    ANDREWS,    who    is  here    this 
evening  to  see  his  faith  rewarded.     (Applause.)     But  at 
the  time  I  speak  of,  it  was  plain  that  our  main  hope  must 
be  in  England,  and  I  went   to   London.     There,  too,  it 
dragged  heavily.     There  was  a  profound  discouragement. 
Many  had  lost  before,  and  were  not  willing  to  throw  more 
money  into  the  sea.     We  needed  £600,000,  and  with  our 
utmost  efforts  we  had  raised  less  than  half,  and  there  the 
enterprise  stood  in  a  dead  lock.    It  was  plain  that  we  must 
have  help  from  some  new  quarter.     I  looked  around  to 
find  a  man  who  had  broad  shoulders,  and  could  carry  a 
heavy  load,  and  who  would  be  a  giant  in  the  cause.     It 
was  at  this  time  I  was  introduced  to  a  gentleman,  whom 


24 

I  would  hold  up  to  the  American  public  as  a  specimen  of 
a  great-hearted  Englishman,  Mr.  THOMAS  BRASSEY.  You 
may  never  have  heard  his  name,  but  in  London  he  is 
known  as  one  of  the  men  who  have  made  British  enter 
prise  and  British  capital  felt  in  all  parts  of  the  earth.  I 
went  to  see  him,  though  with  fear  and  trembling.  He 
received  me  kindly,  but  put  me  through  such  an  exami 
nation  as  I  never  had  before.  I  thought  I  was  in  the 
witness  box.  He  asked  every  possible  question,  but  my 
answers  satisfied  him,  and  he  ended  by  saying,  "It  was 
an  enterprise  which  ought  to  be  carried  out,  and  that  he 
would  be  one  of  ten  men  to  furnish  the  money  to  do 
it."  This  was  a  pledge  of  60,000  pounds  sterling! 
Encouraged  by  this  noble  offer,  I  looked  about  to  find 
another  such  man,  though  it  was  almost  like  trying  to 
find  two  WELLINGTONS.  But  he  was  found  in  Mr.  JOHN 
FENDER,  of  Manchester.  I  went  one  day  to  his  office  in 
London,  and  we  walked  together  to  the  House  of  Com 
mons,  and  before  we  got  there  he  said  he  would  take  an 
equal  share  with  Mr.  BRASSEY. 

The  action  of  these  two  gentlemen  was  a  turning  point 
in  the  history  of  our  enterprise.  For  it  led  shortly  after 
to  a  union  of  the  well-known  firm  of  GLASS,  ELLIOT  &  Co., 
with  the  Gutta  Percha  Company,  making  of  the  two  one 
grand  concern,  known  as  "THE  TELEGRAPH  CONSTRUCTION 
AND  MAINTENANCE  COMPANY,"  which  included,  not  only 
Mr.  BRASSEY  and  Mr.  FENDER,  but  other  men  of  great 
wealth,  such  as  Mr.  GEORGE  ELLIOT  and  Mr.  BARCLAY,  of 
London,  and  Mr.  HENRY  BEWLEY,  of  Dublin  ;  and  which, 
thus  reinforced  with  immense  capital,  took  up  the  whole, 
enterprise  in  its  strong  arms.  We  needed,  I  have  said, 
£600,000,  and  with  all  our  efforts  in  England  and  Amer 
ica,  we  had  raised  only  £285,000.  This  new  company 
now  came  forward,  and  offered  to  take  the  whole  remain- 


25 

ing  £315,000 — besides  £100,000  of  the  bonds,  and  to 
make  its  own  profits  contingent  on  success  !  Mr.  RICHARD 
A.  GLASS  was  made  Managing  Director,  and  gave  energy 
and  vigor  to  all  its  departments,  being  admirably  seconded 
by  the  Secretary,  Mr.  SHUTER.  Mr.  GLASS  has  been  re 
cently  knighted  for  his  services  in  carrying  out  the  Atlan 
tic  Telegraph — an  honor  which  he  most  justly  deserves. 

A  few  days  after  half  a  dozen  gentlemen  joined  to 
gether  and  bought  the  u  Great  Eastern,"  to  lay  the  cable ; 
and  at  the  head  of  this  company  was  placed  Mr.  DANIEL 
GOOCH,  a  member  of  Parliament,  and  Chairman  of  the 
Great  Western  Railway,  who  was  with  us  in  both  the  ex 
peditions  which  followed,  and  who  for  his  services  has 
been  made  a  Baronet  of  the  United  Kingdom.  His  son, 
Mr.  CHARLES  GOOCH,  a  volunteer  in  the  service,  who 
worked  faithfully  on  board  the  "  Great  Eastern,"  we  are 
happy  to  welcome  here  to-night.  (Applause.) 

The  good  fortune  which  favored  us  in  our  ship  favored 
us  also  in  our  commander.  Many  of  you  know  Capt. 
ANDERSON — (applause) — who  was  for  years  in  the  CUNARD 
line.  You  may  have  crossed  the  sea  with  him,  and  you 
remember  how  kind  he  was ;  how  clear-eyed  and  prompt 
in  his  duty,  and  yet  always  the  quiet  and  modest  gentle 
man.  How  well  he  did  his  part  in  two  Expeditions  the 
result  has  proved,  and  it  was  just  that  a  mark  of  royal 
favor  should  fall  on  that  manly  head. 

Thus  organized,  the  work  of  making  a  new  Atlantic 
Cable  was  begun.  The  core  was  prepared  with  infinite 
care,  under  the  able  superintendence  of  Mr.  CHATTERTON 
and  Mr.  WILLOUGHBY  SMITH  ;  and  the  whole  was  com 
pleted  in  about  eight  months.  As  fast  as  ready,  it  was 
taken  on  board  the  "  Great  Eastern,"  and  coiled  in  three 
enormous  tanks;  and  on  the  15th  of  July,  1865,  the  ship 
started  on  her  memorable  voyage. 


26 

I  will  not  stop  to  tell  the  story  of  that  Expedition. 
For  a  week  all  went  well ;  we  had  paid  out  1,200  miles  of 
cable,  and  had  only  600  miles  farther  to  go,  when  hauling 
in  the  cable  to  remedy  a  fault,  it  parted  and  went  to  the 
bottom.  That  day  I  can  never  forget — how  men  paced 
the  deck  in  despair,  looking  out  on  the  broad  sea  that 
had  swallowed  up  their  hopes ;  and  then  how  the  brave 
CANNING  for  nine  days  and  nights  dragged  the  bottom  of 
the  ocean  for  our  lost  treasure,  and  though  he  grappled  it 
three  times,  failed  to  bring  it  to  the  surface.  The  story 
of  that  Expedition,  as  written  by  Dr.  RUSSELL,  who  was 
on  board  the  "  Great  Eastern,"  is  one  of  the  most  marvel 
lous  chapters  in  the  whole  history  of  modern  enterprise. 
We  returned  to  England  defeated,  yet  full  of  resolution 
to  begin  the  battle  anew.  Measures  were  at  once  taken 
to  make  a  second  cable,  and  fit  out  a  new  Expedition ; 
and  with  that  assurance  I  came  home  last  autumn. 

In  December  I  went  back  again,  when  lo,  all  our  hopes 
had  sunk  to  nothing.  The  Attorney-General  of  England 
had  given  his  written  opinion  that  we  had  no  legal  right, 
without  a  special  act  of  Parliament,  (which  could  not  be  ob 
tained  under  a  year,)  to  issue  the  new  12  per  cent,  shares, 
on  which  we  relied  to  raise  our  capital.  This  was  a  ter 
rible  blow.  The  works  were  at  once  stopped,  and  the 
money  which  had  been  paid  in  returned  to  the  subscribers. 
Such  was  the  state  of  things  only  ten  months  ago.  I 
reached  London  on  the  24th  of  December,  and  the  next 
day  was  not  a  "  merry  Christmas  "  to  me.  But  it  was  an 
inexpressible  comfort  to  have  the  counsel  of  such  men  as 
Sir  DANIEL  GOOCH  and  Sir  RICHARD  A.  GLASS  ;  and  to 
hear  stout-hearted  Mr.  BRASSEY  tell  us  to  go  ahead  ;  and 
if  need  were,  he  would  put  down  £60.000  more  !  It  was 
finally  concluded  that  the  best  course  was  to  organize  a 
new  company,  which  should  assume  the  work ;  and  so 


27 

originated  the  ANGLO-AMERICAN  TELEGRAPH  COMPANY.  It 
was  formed  by  ten  gentlemen  who  met  around  a  table  in 
London,  and  put  down  £10,000  apiece.  I  hope  the  excel 
lent  Secretary  of  this  Company,  Mr.  DEANE,  who  came  with 
us  across  the  ocean,  will  write  its  history,  and  tell  the 
world  what  life  and  vigor  were  comprised  in  its  Board  of 
Directors.  The  great  Telegraph  Construction  and  Main 
tenance  Company — undaunted  by  the  failure  of  last  year- 
answered  us  with  a  subscription  of  £100,000.  Soon 
after,  the  books  were  opened  to  the  public,  through  the 
eminent  banking  house  of  J.  S.  MORGAN  &  Co.,  and  in 
fourteen  days  we  had  raised  the  whole  £600,000.  (Loud 
applause.)  Then  the  work  began  again,  and  went  on 
with  speed.  Never  was  greater  energy  infused  into  any 
enterprise.  It  was  only  the  first  day  of  March  that  the 
new  company  was  formed,  and  was  registered  as  a  com 
pany  the  next  day  ;  and  yet  such  was  the  vigor  and  de 
spatch,  that  in  five  months  from  that  day  the  cable  had 
been  manufactured,  shipped  on  the  "  Great  Eastern," 
stretched  across  the  Atlantic,  and  was  sending  messages, 
literally  swift  as  lightning,  from  continent  to  continent. 
(Prolonged  cheers.) 

Yet  this  was  not  ua  lucky  hit" — a  fine  run  across  the 
ocean  in  calm  weather.  It  was  the  worst  weather  I  ever 
knew  at  that  season  of  the  year.  In  the  despatch  which 
appeared  in  the  New- York  papers  you  may  have  read, 
"  The  weather  has  been  most  pleasant."  I  wrote  it  "  un 
pleasant."  We  had  fogs  and  storms  almost  the  whole  way. 
Our  success  was  the  result  of  the  highest  science  combined 
with  practical  experience.  Every  thing  was  perfectly 
organized  to  the  minutest  detail.  We  had  on  board  an 
admirable  staff  of  officers,  such  men  as  HALPIN  and  BECK- 
WITH  ;  and  engineers  long  used  to  this  business,  such  as 
CANNING,  and  CLIFFORD,  and  TEMPLE,  the  first  of  whom 


28 

has  been  knighted  for  his  part  in  this  great  achievement ; 
and  electricians,  such  as  Professor  THOMSON,  of  Glasgow, 
and  WILLOUGHBY  SMITH,  and  LAWS;  while  Mr.  C.  F. 
YARLET,  our  companion  of  the  year  before,  who  stands 
among  the  first  in  knowledge  and  practical  skill,  remained 
with  Sir  RICHARD  GLASS  at  Valentia,  to  keep  watch  at  that 
end  of  the  line ;  and  Mr.  LATIMER  CLARK,  who  was  to  test 
the  cable  when  done.  Of  these  gentlemen,  Professor 
THOMSON,  as  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  eminent  electri 
cians  of  England,  has  received  the  same  mark  of  distinc 
tion.  England  honors  herself  when  she  thus  pays  honor 
to  science  ;  and  it  is  fit  that  the  government  which  honored 
chemistry  in  Sir  HUMPHREY  DAVY,  should  honor  electrical 
science  in  Sir  WILLIAM  THOMSON.  (Applause.) 

But  our  work  was  not  over.  After  landing  the  cable 
safely  at  Newfoundland,  we  had  another  task — to  return 
to  mid-ocean  and  recover  that  lost  in  the  expedition  of  last 
year.  This  achievement  has  perhaps  excited  more  sur 
prise  than  the  other.  Many  even  now  "  don't  understand 
it,"  and  every  day  I  am  asked,  "  how  it  was  done  ?" 
Well,  it  does  seem  rather  difficult  to  fish  for  a  jewel  at 
the  bottom  of  the  ocean  two  and  a  half  miles  deep.  But 
it  is  not  so  very  difficult — when  you  know  how.  You 
may  be  sure  we  did  not  go  a-fishing  at  random,  nor  was 
our  success  mere  "luck."  It  was  the  triumph  of  the 
highest  nautical  and  engineering  skill.  We  had  four  ships, 
and  on  board  of  them  some  of  the  best  seamen  in  Eng 
land,  men  who  knew  the  ocean  as  a  hunter  knows  every 
trail  in  the  forest.  There  was  Capt.  MORIARTY,  who  was 
in  the  "  Agamemnon  "  in  1857-8.  He  was  in  the  "  Great 
Eastern"  last  year,  and  saw  the  cable  when  it  broke  ;  and 
he  and  Capt.  ANDERSON  at  once  took  their  observations  so 
exact  that  they  could  go  right  to  the  spot.  After  finding  it, 
they  marked  the  line  of  the  cable  by  a  row  of  buoys ;  for 


29 

fogs  would  come  down,  and  shut  out  sun  and  stars,  so  that 
no  man  could  take  an  observation.  These  buoys  were 
anchored  a  few  miles  apart.  They  were  numbered,  and 
each  had  a  flag-staff  on  it,  so  that  it  could  be  seen  by  day ; 
and  a  lantern  by  night.  Thus  having  taken  our  bearings, 
we  stood  off  three  or  four  miles,  so  as  to  come  broadside 
on,  and  then  casting  over  the  grapnel,  drifted  slowly  down 
upon  it,  dragging  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  as  we  went. 
At  first  it  was  a  little  awkward  to  fish  in  such  deep  water, 
but  our  men  got  used  to  it,  and  soon  could  cast  a  grapnel 
almost  as  straight  as  an  old  whaler  throws  a  harpoon. 
Our  fishing  line  was  of  formidable  size.  It  was  made  of 
rope,  twisted  with  wires  of  steel,  so  as  to  bear  a  strain  of 
thirty  tons.  It  took  about  two  hours  for  the  grapnel  to 
reach  bottom,  but  we  could  tell  when  it  struck.  .  I  often 
went  to  the  bow  and  sat  on  the  rope,  and  could  feel  by 
the  quiver  that  the  grapnel  was  dragging  on  the  bottom 
two  miles  under  us.  (Applause.)  But  it  was  a  very  slow 
business.  We  had  storms  and  calms,  and  fogs  and  squalls. 
Still  we  worked  on  day  after  day.  Once,  on  the  17th  of 
,  August,  we  got  the  cable  up  and  had  it  in  full  sight  for 
five  minutes,  a  long,  slimy  monster,  fresh  from  the  ooze  of 
the  ocean's  bed ;  but  our  men  began  to  cheer  so  wildly, 
that  it  seemed  to  be  frightened,  and  suddenly  broke  away 
and  went  down  into  the  sea.  This  accident  kept  us  at 
work  two  weeks  longer,  but  finally,  on  the  last  night  of 
August,  we  caught  it.  We  had  cast  the  grapnel  thirty  times. 
It  was  a  little  before  midnight  on  Friday  night  that  we 
hooked  the  cable,  and  it  was  a  little  after  midnight,  Sun 
day  morning,  when  we  got  it  on  board.  (Cheers.)  What 
was  the  anxiety  of  those  twenty-six  hours !  The  strain  on 
every  man's  life  was  like  the  strain  on  the  cable  itself. 
When  finally  it  appeared,  it  was  midnight;  the  lights  of 
the  ship,  and  in  the  boats  around  our  bows,  as  they  flashed 


30 

in  the  faces  of  the  men,  showed  them  eagerly  watching 
for  the  cable  to  appear  on  the  water.  At  length  it  was 
brought  to  the  surface.  All  who  were  allowed  to  approach 
crowded  forward  to  see  it.  Yet  not  a  word  was  spoken  ; 
only  the  voices  of  the  officers  in  command  were  heard 
giving  orders.  All  felt  as  if  life  and  death  hung  on  the 
issue.  It  was  only  when  it  was  brought  over  the  bow 
and  on  to  the  deck  that  men  dared  to  breathe.  Even  then 
they  hardly  believed  their  eyes.  Some  crept  toward  it 
to  feel  of  it,  to  be  sure  it  was  there.  Then  we  carried 
it  along  to  the  electricians'  room,  to  see  if  our  long  sought 
treasure  was  alive  or  dead.  A  few  minutes  of  sus 
pense,  and  a  flash  told  of  the  lightning  current  again  set 
free.  Then  did  the  feeling  long  pent  up  burst  forth. 
Some  turned  away  their  heads  and  wept.  Others  broke 
into  cheers,  and  the  cry  ran  from  man  to  man,  and  was 
heard  down  in  the  engine  rooms,  deck  below  deck,  and 
from  the  boats  on  the  water,  and  the  other  ships,  while 
rockets  lighted  up  the  darkness  of  the  sea.  Then  with 
thankful  hearts  we  turned  our  faces  again  to  the  west. 
But  soon  the  wind  rose,  and  for  thirty-six  hours  we  were 
exposed  to  all  the  dangers  of  a  storm  on  the  Atlantic. 
Yet,  in  the  very  height  and  fury  of  the  gale,  as  I  sat  in 
the  electricians'  room,  a  flash  of  light  came  up  from  the 
deep,  which  having  crossed  to  Ireland,  came  back  to  me 
in  mid-ocean,  telling  that  those  so  dear  to  me,  whom  I  had 
left  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  were  well,  and  following 
us  with  their  wishes  and  their  prayers.  (Applause.)  This 
was  like  a  whisper  of  God  from  the  sea,  bidding  me  keep 
heart  and  hope.  The  "  Great  Eastern"  bore  herself  proudly 
through  the  storm,  as  if  she  knew  that  the  vital  chord, 
which  was  to  join  two  hemispheres,  hung  at  her  stern ; 
and  so,  on  Saturday,  the  7th  of  September,  we  brought 
our  second  cable  safely  to  the  shore.  (Renewed  applause.) 


31 


But  the  "  Great  Eastern"  did  not  make  her  voyage  alone. 
Three  other  ships  attended  her  across  the  ocean — the  "  Al 
bany,"  the  uMedway"  and  the  "  Terrible"— the  officers  of 
all  of  which  exerted  themselves  to  the  utmost.  The  Queen 
of  England  has  shown  her  appreciation  of  the  services  of 
some  of  those  more  prominent  in  the  expedition,  but  if  it 
had  been  possible  to  do  justice  to  all,  honors  would  have 
been  bestowed  upon  many  others.  If  this  cannot  be,  at 
least  let  their  names  live  in  the  history  of  this  enterprise, 
with  which  they  will  be  forever  associated. 

When  I  think  of  them  all — not  only  of  those  on  the 
"  Great  Eastern,"  but  of  Capt.  COMMERILL,  of  the  lt  Terrible," 
and  his  first  officer,  Mr.  CURTIS,  (who  with  their  ship  came 
with  us  not  only  to  Heart's  Content,  but  afterwards  to 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  to  help  in  laying  the  new  cable,) 
and  of  the  officers  of  the  other  ships,  my  heart  is  full. 
Better  men  never  trod  a  deck.  If  I  do  not  name  them 
all,  it  is  because  they  are  too  many,  their  ranks  are  too 
full  of  glory.  Even  the  sailors  caught  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  enterprise,  and  were  eager  to  share  in  the  honor  of 
•the  achievement.  Brave,  stalwart  men  they  were — at 
home  on  the  ocean  and  in  the  storm — of  that  sort  that 
have  carried  the  flag  of  England  around  the  globe. 
(Cheers.)  I  see  them  now  as  they  dragged  the  shore  end 
up  the  beach  at  Heart's  Content,  hugging  it  in  their 
brawny  arms  as  if  it  were  a  shipwrecked  child  whom  they 
had  rescued  from  the  dangers  of  the  sea.  God  bless  them 
all!  (Applause.) 

Such,  gentlemen,  in  brief,  is  the  story  of  the  Telegraph 
which  you  have  wished  to  hear.  It  has  been  a  long,  hard 
struggle — nearly  thirteen  years  of  anxious  watching  and 
ceaseless  toil.  Often  my  heart  has  been  ready  to  sink. 
Many  times,  when  wandering  in  the  forests  of  Newfound 
land,  in  the  pelting  rain,  or  on  the  deck  of  ships,  on  dark, 


32 

stormy  nights — alone,  far  from  home — I  have  almost 
accused  myself  of  madness  and  folly  to  sacrifice  the  peace 
of  my  family,  and  all  the  hopes  of  life,  for  what  might 
prove  after  all  but  a  dream.  I  have  seen  my  companions 
one  and  another  falling  by  my  side,  and  feared  that  I  too 
might  not  live  to  see  the  end.  And  yet  one  hope  has  led 
me  on,  and  I  have  prayed  that  I  might  not  taste  of  death 
till  this  work  was  accomplished.  That  prayer  is  an 
swered  :  and  now,  beyond  all  acknowledgments  to  men, 
is  the  feeling  of  gratitude  to  Almighty  God.  (Deep 
sensation  and  applause.) 

Having  thus  accomplished  our  work  of  building  an 
Ocean  Telegraph,  we  desire  to  make  it  useful  to  the  pub 
lic.  To  this  end  it  must  be  kept  in  perfect  order,  and 
all  lines  connected  with  it.  The  very  idea  of  an  electric 
telegraph  is,  an  instrument  to  send  messages  instantane 
ously.  When  a  despatch  is  sent  from  New- York  to  Lon 
don,  there  must  be  no  uncertainty  about  its  reaching  its 
destination — and  that  promptly.  This  we  aim  to  secure. 
Our  two  cables  do  their  part  well.  There  are  no  way 
stations  between  Ireland  and  Newfoundland,  where  mes 
sages  have  to  be  repeated,  and  the  lightning  never  lingers 
more  than  a  second  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  To  those 
who  feared  that  they  might  be  used  up  or  wear  out,  I 
would  say,  for  their  relief,  that  the  old  cable  works  a  little 
better  than  the  new  one,  but  that  is  because  it  has  been 
down  longer,  as  time  improves  the  quality  of  gutta  percha. 
But  the  new  one  is  constantly  growing  better.  To  show 
how  delicate  are  these  wonderful  chords,  it  is  enough  to 
state  that  they  can  be  worked  with  the  smallest  battery 
power.  When  the  first  cable  was  laid  in  1858,  electricians 
thought  that  to  send  a  current  two  thousand  miles,  it 
must  be  almost  like  a  stroke  of  lightning.  But  God  was 
not  in  the  earthquake,  but  in  the  still,  small  voice.  The 


33 

other  day  Mr.  LATIMER  CLARK  telegraphed  from  Ireland 
across  the  Ocean  and  back  again,  with  a  battery  formed 
in  a  lady's  thimble !  (Applause.)  And  now  Mr.  COL- 
LETT  writes  me  from  Heart's  Content:  "  I  have  just  sent 
my  compliments  to  Dr.  GOULD,  of  Cambridge,  who  is  at 
Valentia,  with  a  battery  composed  of  a  gun  cap,  with  a 
strip  of  zinc,  excited  by  a  drop  of  water,  the  simple  bulk 
of  a  tear  !"  (Renewed  applause.)  A  telegraph  that  will 
do  that  we  think  nearly  perfect.  It  has  never  failed  for 
an  hour  or  a  minute.  Yet  there  have  been  delays  in  re 
ceiving  messages  from  Europe,  but  these  have  all  been  on 
the  land  lines  or  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  not  on 
the  sea  cables.  It  was  very  painful  to  me,  when  we  landed 
at  Heart's  Content,  to  find  any  interruption  here,  that  a 
message  which  came  in  a  flash  across  the  Atlantic,  should 
be  delayed  twenty-four  hours  in  crossing  eighty  miles  of 
water.  But  it  was  not  my  fault.  My  associates  in  the 
Newfoundland  Company  will  bear  me  witness,  that  I  en 
treated  them  a  year  ago  to  repair  the  cable  in  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence,  and  to  put  our  land  lines  in  perfect  order. 
»But  they  thought  it  more  prudent  to  await  the  result  of 
the  late  Expedition  before  making  further  large  outlays. 
We  have  therefore  had  to  work  hard  to  restore  our  lines. 
But  in  two  weeks  our  cable  across  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law 
rence  was  taken  up  and  repaired.  It  was  found  to  have 
been  broken  by  an  anchor  in  shallow  water,  and,  when 
spliced  out,  proved  as  perfect  as  when  laid  down  ten 
years  ago.  Since  then  a  new  one  has  been  laid,  so  that 
we  have  there  two  excellent  cables. 

On  land  the  task  was  more  slow.  You  must  remember 
that  Newfoundland  is  a  large  country  ;  our  line  across  it 
is  400  miles  long,  and  runs  through  a  wilderness.  In 
Cape  Breton  we  have  another  of  140  miles.  These  lines 
were  built  twelve  years  ago,  and  we  have  waited  so  long 

3 


34 

for  an  ocean  telegraph  that  they  have  become  old  and 
rusty.  On  such  long  lines,  unless  closely  watched,  there 
must  be  sometimes  a  break..  A  few  weeks  ago  a  storm 
swept  over  the  island,  the  most  terrific  that  had  been 
known  for  twenty  years,  which  strewed  the  coast  with 
shipwrecks.  This  blew  down  the  line  in  many  places, 
and  caused  an  interruption  of  several  days.  But  it  was 
quickly  repaired,  and  we  are  trying  to  guard  against  such 
accidents  again.  For  three  months  we  have  had  an  army 
of  men  at  work,  under  our  faithful  and  indefatigable  Su 
perintendent,  Mr.  A.  M.  MACKAY,  rebuilding  the  line,  and 
now  they  report  it  nearly  complete.  On  this  we  must 
rely  for  the  next  few  months.  But  all  winter  long  these 
men  will  be  making  their  axes  heard  in  the  forests  of 
Newfoundland,  cutting  thousands  of  poles,  and  as  soon  as 
the  spring  opens  will  build  an  entirely  new  line  along  the 
same  route.  With  this  double  line  complete,  with  fre 
quent  station  houses,  and  faithful  sentinels  to  watch  it, 
we  feel  pretty  secure.  At  Port  Hood,  in  Nova  Scotia, 
we  connect  with  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company, 
which  has  engaged  to  keep  as  many  lines  as  may  be  neces 
sary  for  European  business.  This  we  think  will  guard 
against  failures  hereafter.  But  to  make  assurance  doubly 
sure,  we  shall  in  the  spring  build  still  another  line  by  a 
separate  route,  crossing  over  from  Heart's  Content  to 
Placentia,  which  is  only  about  a  hundred  miles,  along  a 
good  road,  where  it  can  easily  be  kept  in  order.  From 
Placentia  a  submarine  cable  will  be  laid  across  to  the 
French  island  of  St.  Pierre,  and  thence  to  Sydney,  in  Cape 
Breton,  where  again  we  strike  a  coach  road,  and  can  main 
tain  our  lines  without  difficulty.  Thus  we  shall  have  three 
distinct  lines,  with  which  it  is  hardly  possible  that  there 
can  be  any  delay.  A  message  from  London  to  New- York 
passes  over  four  lines  :  from  London  to  Valentia ;  from 


35 

Valentia  to  Heart's  Content ;  from  there  to  Port  Hood, 
and  from  Port  Hood  to  New- York.  It  always  takes  a 
little  time  for  an  operator  to  read  a  message,  and  prepare 
to  send  it.  For  this  allow  five  minutes  at  each  station — 
that  is  enough,  and  I  shall  not  be  content  till  we  have 
messages  regularly  from  London  in  twenty  minutes.  One 
hour  is  ample  (allowing  ten  minutes  each  side  for  a  boy 
to  carry  a  despatch)  for  a  message  to  go  from  Wall-street 
to  the  Royal  Exchange  and  to  get  an  answer  back  again. 
This  is  what  we  aim  to  do.  If  for  a  few  months  there 
should  be  occasional  delays,  we  ask  only  a  little  patience, 
remembering  that  our  machinery  is  new,  and  it  takes  time 
to  get  it  well-oiled  and  running  at  full  speed.  But  after 
that  I  trust  we  shall  be  able  to  satisfy  all  the  demands  of 
the  public. 

A  word  about  the  tariff.  Complaint  has  been  made 
that  it  was  so  high,  as  to  be  very  oppressive.  I  beg  all 
to  remember,  that  it  is  only  three  months  and  a  half  since 
the  cable  was  laid.  It  was  laid  at  a  great  cost  and  a  great 
risk.  Different  companies  had  sunk  in  their  attempts 
twoJve  millions  of  dollars.  It  was  still  an  experiment,  of 
which  the  result  was  doubtful.  This,  too,  might  prove 
another  costly  failure.  Even  if  successful,  we  did  not 
know  how  long  it  would  work.  Evil  prophets  in  both 
countries  predicted  that  it  would  not  last  a  month.  If  it 
did,  we  were  not  sure  of  having  more  than  one  cable  ; 
nor  how  much  work  that  one  could  do.  Now  these  doubts 
are  resolved.  We  have,  not  only  one  cable,  but  two, 
both  in  working  order  ;  and  we  find,  instead  of  five  words 
a  minute,  we  can  send  fifteen.  Now  we  are  free  to  reduce 
the  tariff.  Accordingly  it  has  been  cut  down  one-half, 
and  I  hope  in  a  few  months  we  can  bring  it  down  to  one- 
quarter.  I  am  in  favor  of  reducing  it  to  the  lowest  point 
at  which  we  can  do  the  business,  keeping  the  lines  work- 


36 

ing  day  and  night.  And  then — if  the  work  grows  upon 
us  so  enormously  that  we  cannot  do  it — why  we  must  go 
to  work  and  lay  more  cables.  (Applause.) 

Those  who  conduct  a  public  enterprise  ought  not  to 
object  to  any  fair  criticism  of  the  public  or  the  press. 
But  complaints  are  sometimes  made  without  reflection,  as 
when  fault  is  found  with  the  cable,  because  the  news  from 
Europe  may  be  scanty  or  unimportant,  as  if  we  had  any 
more  to  do  with  what  passes  over  the  line,  than  the  Post 
Office  Department  with  the  contents  of  letters  that  go 
through  the  mail.  We  are  common  carriers,  and  send 
whatever  conies ;  and  if  our  brethren  of  the  Press  keep 
capable  men  in  the  capitals  of  Europe,  who  will  furnish 
only  news  which  is  important,  we  will  see  that  it  is  de 
livered  here  every  morning. 

Of  the  results  of  this  enterprise — commercially  and 
politically — it  is  for  others  to  speak.  To  one  effect  only 
do  I  refer  as  the  wish  of  my  heart — that,  as  it  brings  us 
into  closer  relations  with  England,  it  may  produce  a  better 
understanding  between  the  two  countries.  Let  who  will 
speak  against  England — words  of  censure  must  come  from 
other  lips  than  mine.  I  have  received  too  much  kind 
ness  from  Englishmen  to  join  in  this  language.  I  have 
eaten  of  their  bread  and  drank  of  their  cup,  and  I  have 
received  from  them,  in  the  darkest  hours  of  this  enterprise, 
words  of  cheer  which  I  shall  never  forget ;  and  if  any 
words  of  mine  can  tend  to  peace  and  good  will,  they  shall 
not  be  wanting.  I  beg  my  countrymen  to  remember  the 
ties  of  kindred.  Blood  is  thicker  than  water.  America 
with  all  her  greatness  has  come  out  of  the  loins  of  Eng 
land  ;  and  though  there  have  been  sometimes  family 
quarrels — bitter  as  family  quarrels  are  apt  to  be — still  in 
our  hearts  there  is  a  yearning  for  the  old  home,  the  land 
of  our  fathers ;  and  he  is  an  enemy  of  his  country  and  of 


37 

the  human  race,  who  would  stir  up  strife  between  two 
nations  that  are  one  in  race,  in  language  and  in  religion. 
(Applause.)  I  close  with  this  sentiment :  ENGLAND  AND 
AMERICA — CLASPING  HANDS  ACROSS  THE  SEA,  MAY  THIS  FIRM 

GRASP    BE    A    PLEDGE  OF   FRIENDSHIP    TO   ALL    GENERATIONS  ! 

(Enthusiastic  applause — the  audience  rising  and  giving 
three  cheers.) 

TELEGRAPHIC  DESPATCHES. 

The  President  said :  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  before  an 
nouncing  the  next  toast,  the  Chair  feels  under  the  neces 
sity  of  discharging  a  little  of  the  electricity  with  which 
Gen.  LEFFERTS  has  been  steadily  plying  the  Chair  since  we 
came  into  this  room. 

s 

STATE  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON,  Nov.  15,  1866. 
A.  A.  Low,  Esq.,  Metropolitan  Hotel,  New-York  : 

CYRUS  W.  FIELD  :  The  first,  the  most  constant  and  the  most  energetic 
friend  in  the  United  States  of  the  latest  accomplished  great  enterprise 
in  the  advance  of  universal  civilization. 

WM.  H.  SEWARD. 

(Long  and  continued  cheering.) 

From  the  Governor  of  Newfoundland. 

ST.  JOHN'S,  NEWFOUNDLAND,  Nov.  15th. 
CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  Esq. : 

I  greatly  regret  that  I  am  unable  to  accept  the  invitation  to  be  present 
at  the  banquet  to-night.  It  would  have  given  me  much  pleasure  to  meet 
the  Directors  of  the  New- York,  Newfoundland  and  London  Telegraph 
Company,  who  were  the  pioneers  in  the  line  of  communication  which 
now  unites  Europe  and  America ;  and  I  should  have  been  proud  on  this 
occasion  to  represent  the  Colony  of  Newfoundland,  which  so  liberally 
acted  in  the  first  steps  toward  the  accomplishment  of  the  great  work 
now  successfully  completed,  which  must  strengthen  the  ties  which  attach 

our  two  nations. 

A.  MUSGRAVE. 


38 

From  Sir  James  Anderson,  Captain  of  the  Great  Eastern. 

LONDON,  ENGLAND,  Nov.  15th. 
A.  A.  Low,  Esq.,  President  Chamber  of  Commerce,  New-York  : 

Will  you  tell  Mr.  FIELD,  at  your  Banquet,  that  I  am  with  him  in  hearty 
friendship,  and  hope  his  countrymen  will  give  due  recognition  to  his  un 
equalled  efforts  to  establish  the  telegraphic  cord  between  the  two  coun 
tries. 

JAMES  ANDERSON. 

(Loud  applause.) 

From  Lord  MoncTc,  Governor-General  of  Canada. 

QUEBEC,  C.  E.,  Nov.  15th. 

To  the  Committee  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  City  of  New-York  : 
GENTLEMEN  : 

Your  invitation  only  reached  me  this  day.  Had  I  been  able  to  avail 
myself  of  it,  I  should  have  felt  the  greatest  pleasure  in  joining  with  you 
to  do  honor  to  your  eminent  countryman,  who  has  taken  so  distinguished 
a  part  in  achieving  the  triumphant  success  which  you  this  evening  cele 
brate. 

MONCK. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  Nov.  15th. 
A.  A.  Low,  Esq.,  New- York  : 

Regretting  my  inability  to  be  present  with  yourself  and  others  to  ex 
change  congratulations  with  our  friend  FIELD  on  the  happy  result  of  his 
efforts  to  unite  the  Old  World  with  the  New,  my  best  wishes  are  with  you 
and  all  who  participated  in  the  enterprise.  Should  the  union  thus  formed 
be  broken,  may  it  have  a  speedy  reconstruction. 

GIDEON  WELLES,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

WASHINGTON.  Thursday,  Nov.  loth. 
A.  A.  Low,  Esq.,  Metropolitan  Hotel,  New- York : 

My  congratulations  to  your  interesting  gathering,  and  to  the  worthy 
recipient  of  its  honors,  CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  on  the  completion  of  the  most 
wonderful  enterprise  of  modern  times.  Please  accept  as  a  sentiment 
from  me,  "  The  Unity  of  America  and  Europe,  in  Peace,  Progress  and 
Prosperity,  strengthened  in  both  Hemispheres  by  the  Atlantic  Telegraph 
and  its  Ptailway  adjuncts." 

O.  H.  BROWNING,  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 


39 

WASHINGTON,  Thursday,  Nov.  1 5th. 
A.  A.  Low, 

Chairman  Committee  of  Arrangements,  Metropolitan  Hotel,  New-York : 
I  regret  that  other  engagements  prevent  my  joining  in  your  welcome 
to  CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  the  greatest  funambulist  the  world  ever  saw,  who 
has  walked  into  immortal  renown  over  a  rope  three  thousand  miles  long. 
The  great  and  loyal  West,  standing  midway  between  the  antipodes, 
stretches  her  hands  to  greet  the  man  who  has  united  them  in  the  bonds 

of  everlasting  brotherhood. 

JOHN  A.  LOGAN. 

NEW-GLASGOW,  N.  S.,  Nov.  I5th,  1866. 
CYRUS  W.  FIELD  : 

Nova  Scotia  rejoices  most  sincerely,  and  begs  to  offer  you  her  share  of 
congratulations  upon  the  triumphant  success  which  has,  by  the  blessing 
of  Providence,  finally  crowned  your  noble  energy  and  perseverance  in 
uniting  Europe  and  America  by  the  bonds  of  the  submarine  telegraph. 

JESSE  HOYT. 

The  following  was  sent  to  the  chair  : 

November  1 5th. 
CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  Esq. : 

I  received  to-day  over  the  cable  a  despatch  from  REUTER,  announcing 
that  NAPOLEON  had  ordered  a  conscription  of  sailors  throughout  the 
French  maritime  provinces  to  man  the  vessels  to  bring  home  the  French 
troops  from  Mexico.  It  seems  to  be  a  favorable  opportunity  to  announce 
such  news,  as  fully  confirming  NAPOLEON'S  intention  to  withdraw  from 
Mexico  immediately. 

J.  McLsAN,  Renter's  Agent. 

(The  reading  of  the  above  was  received  with  an  out 
burst  of  the  most  enthusiastic  cheers,  all  present  rising  to 
their  feet  and  waving  handkerchiefs.) 

THE  CHAIRMAN  :  There  are  other  telegrams  ;  but  I  will 
now  proceed  with  the  work  of  the  evening,  and  I  deem 
it  fortunate  that  we  have  with  us,  this  evening,  a  gentle 
man  whose  name  is  intimately  associated  with  the  interests 
of  the  country,  and  sheds  a  light  upon  the  present  as 
well  as  upon  the  past — a  man  whose  eloquence  is  sure  to  be 
heard  with  patriotic  ring  wherever  the  American  heart  is 


40 

stirred  to  noble  measures.  I  am  permitted  to  call  upon 
the  President  of  the  Union  Club  of  New- York,  JOHN  JAY, 
Esq.,  to  respond  to  the  toast  which  you  have  heard : 

'•''England  and  America — clasping  hands  across  the  sea — may  their 
grasp  be  a  pledge  of  friendship  to  all  generations." 

REMARKS  OF  THE  HON.  JOHN  JAY. 

Mr.  PRESIDENT  :  I  am  well  aware  of  the  delicacy  of  the 
task  which  you  impose,  when,  on  behalf  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  of  New-York,  you  honor  me  with  a  request 
to  respond  to  the  toast — England  and  America  clasping 
hands  across  the  sea — which  has  been  so  cordially  received 
by  this  assemblage.  Certainly  that  toast  could  have  been 
offered  by  no  one  more  appropriately  than  by  your  dis 
tinguished  guest,  who,  in  the  achievement  which  we  have 
met  to  celebrate,  represented  to  a  great  extent  both  coun 
tries,  and  conferred  a  signal  benefit  on  both,  and  whose 
interesting,  story  of  the  cable,  completing  your  own  gra 
phic  sketch  of  the  undertaking,  we  have  listened  to  with 
pleasure  and  with  pride. 

A  short  time  since  it  would  have  been  easy,  in  acknow 
ledging  a  sentiment  like  this,  to  arouse  the  hearty  enthusi 
asm  of  such  a  company  as  is  here  assembled,  representing 
the  culture,  the  wealth,  the  commercial  greatness,  the 
social  power  of  the  national  metropolis,  by  invocations, 
however  trite  and  tame,  to  the  ties  of  ancestry  and  kin 
dred  that  still  linked  our  young  Republic  with  the  mother 
land ;  a  common  language,  literature  and  law ;  the  same 
Bible,  the  same  habeas  corpus,  the  same  trial  by  jury,  and 
a  common  property  in  the  English  historians  from  BEDE 
to  BANCROFT,  and  in  the  English  poets,  from  SPENCER  and 
CHAUCER  to  LONGFELLOW  and  BRYANT.  But  now,  a  response 
simply  of  that  sort,  without  a  word  of  .reference  to  the 
events  of  the  past  five  years,  which  in  their  stern  distinct- 


41 

ness  are  present  to  our  thoughts,  would  be  felt  by  all, 
whether  Americans  or  Englishmen,  to  be  unmanly  and  un 
real.  Brief  as  is  the  period  that  has  elapsed,  the  America 
of  to-day  differs  from  the  America  that  hailed  the  success 
of  the  cable  in  1858  with  the  joyous  festivities  to  which 
you  have  alluded,  as  the  thoughtful  man  who  has  fought 
the  great  battle  of  life,  and  conquered  through  trial  and 
disappointment,  differs  from  the  thoughtless  and  inexperi 
enced  youth  still  rejoicing  in  his  confidence  and  credulity. 
With  the  courtesy,  therefore,  and  cordial  feeling  appro 
priate  to  an  occasion  like  the  present,  may  be  fitly  blended 
a  little  of  that  friendly  frankness  which  Englishmen  are 
accustomed  to  use  toward  each  other,  and  which  none 
know  better  than  Englishmen  how  to  appreciate,  when 
honestly  exhibited  toward  themselves. 

The  members  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  who  have 
honored  the  toast  to  England  and  America,  are  inter 
ested  not  simply  as  are  the  American  people,  on  national 
grounds,  but  in  part  more  directly,  in  the  still  pending 
questions  that,  having  taxed  the  diplomacy  of  Mr.  ADAMS 
and  Earl  RUSSELL,  await  the  action  of  the  DERBY  Govern 
ment.  Around  us  are  gentlemen  whose  names  are  known 
on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  by  the  largeness  of  their 
international  charities,  and  by  their  scrupulous  adherence 
to  the  duties  of  international  neutrality,  with  which  your 
own  name.  Sir,  is  so  conspicuously  and  honorably  asso 
ciated  ;  and  when  these  gentlemen,  who  have  certainly 
no  pressing  reasons  to  regard  England  with  special  affec 
tion,  exchange  a  personal  for  a  national  standpoint,  and 
with  the  foresight  of  true  statesmanship,  looking  beyond 
the  mistakes  of  the  past  and  the  complications  of  the  pre 
sent,  and  calmly  regarding  the  distant  future,  the  interests 
of  posterity  and  the  mission  of  the  two  countries  in  ad 
vancing  together  the  civilization  and  freedom  of  the  world ; 


42 

when  these  gentlemen,  with  such  views,  hail  the  ocean 
cable,  whose  success  is  chiefly  due  to  our  friend  and 
guest,  as  a  new  and  lasting  link  between  England  and 
America ;  when  they  join,  as  they  have  done,  in  the  hope, 
if  not  the  prayer,  expressed  in  this  toast,  that  it  may  be 
a  pledge  of  friendship  to  all  generations,  I  think,  Sir,  that 
this  toast  has  a  significance  which  no  similar  sentiment, 
on  a  similar  occasion,  ever  had  or  could  have  had  before. 
(Applause.)  It  is  justified  by  the  cable  telegram  this 
very  morning,  advising  us  of  the  inclination  of  the  Eng 
lish  Government  and  the  English  people  to  amicably  settle 
and  adjust  all  the  American  claims,  including  that  under 
the  Alabama,  whenever  such  action  is  demanded  by  the 
American  Cabinet ;  and  your  cordial  reception  of  this  toast 
will  in  turn  advise  England  that  we  are  inclined  to  accept 
that  announcement,  strengthened  as  it  is  by  the  changed 
opinion  of  her  press  and  the  more  courteous  tone  of  her 
statesmen,  as  an  indication  that  she  is  ready  to  do  speedy 
and  ample  justice,  so  far  as  justice  may  still  be  done,  and 
as  an  assurance  that  the  errors  of  the  past  will  never  be 
repeated. 

Your  response  to  Mr.  FIELD'S  sentiment  shows  that  you 
do  not  confound  the  narrow  prejudices  of  a  class,  nor  the 
temporary  policy  of  a  Cabinet,  with  the  broad  instincts 
and  sympathies  of  a  nation.  That  we  remember  cordially 
the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Englishmen  against  whom 
we  have  no  complaint,  in  all  ranks  and  circles  of  English 
life,  from  the  palace  of  the  Queen  to  the  stately  homes  of 
ARGYLE  and  of  STANLEY;  from  our  fast  friends,  the  great 
champion  of  the  people,  JOHN  BRIGHT,  (loud  cheers,)  and 
the  late  Regius  Professor  at  Oxford,  that  representative  of 
the  classic  scholarship  of  England,  GOLDWIN  SMITH,  (re 
newed  applause,)  down  to  the  humblest  of  the  English  op 
eratives,  who,  with  the  "simple  faith  "  that  TENNYSON  says 


43 

is  more  than  "  Norman  blood,"  in  the  very  face  of  starva 
tion,  adhered  firmly  to  the  cause  of  the  American  Repub 
lic  and  of  American  freedom.  It  shows  also  that  we  have 
not  forgotten,  and  are  not  ready  to  forget,  the  deep-felt 
spontaneous  and  universal  burst  of  sympathy,  that  came 
to  us  after  the  death  of  LINCOLN,  which  Mr.  DISRAELI  said 
was  one  of  those  rare  instances  where  the  sympathy  of 
a  nation  approaches  those  tenderer  feelings  which  are  gene 
rally  supposed  to  be  peculiar  to  the  individual  and  the 
privilege  of  private  life. 

Lastly,  Sir,  does  it  not  indicate,  in  some  degree  at  least, 
the  high  and  honorable  tone  of  the  foreign  policy  which 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  the  influential  class  which 
it  largely  represents,  deem  fitting  for  our  country  at  this 
moment  of  her  rising  greatness,  when  the  Union  is  about 
to  be  restored  in  all  its  national  completeness,  upon  the 
basis  of  equal  right  and  equal  justice  between  State  and 
State  and  man  and  man  ?  (Applause.)  Europe  is  being 
advised  by  her  political  writers  to  fear  our  military  and 
naval  power,  to  anticipate  the  coming  day  when  we  shall 
number  our  hundred  millions ;  and  she  is  warned  to  com 
bine  in  advance  to  resist  an  American  invasion.  These 
gentlemen  evidently  believe  that  our  future  illustrations 
of  the  principle  of  non-intervention,  of  which  we  have 
demanded  so  strict  an  observance  towards  ourselves,  will 
add  new  force  to  the  definition  of  TALLEYRAND,  who,  while 
minister  to  England,  on  being  asked  by  a  lady  the  mean 
ing  of  non-intervention,  replied,  "  Madame,  non-interven 
tion  is  a  diplomatic  and  enigmatical  word,  which  means 
nearly  the  same  thing  as  intervention."  (Laughter.)  The 
tone  of  this  assemblage  may  help  to  disabuse  Europe  of 
the  impression  that  we  shall  follow  European  example  in 
meddling  with  the  affairs  of  other  States,  whether  great 
or  small ;  may  teach  them  that,  however  gigantic  our  mili- 


44 

tary  or  naval  strength,  we  propose  rather  to  advance  the 
happiness  of  the  world  by  the  peaceful  influence  of  our 
principles,  and  the  moral  force  of  our  example  ;  that  we 
rejoice  in  the  ocean  cable,  not  simply  on  grounds  of  com 
merce  and  convenience,  but  as  enabling  the  voice  of 
America  to  be  instantaneously  heard  in  Europe ;  and  that 
our  foreign  policy  is  one  of  peace,  harmony  and  justice, 
not  only  with  England  but  with  the  world.  (Loud  ap 
plause.) 

The  next  regular  toast  on  the  list  was  then  read  : 

The  New-York,  Newfoundland  and  London  Telegraph — Passing 
through  the  wilderness  to  the  sea — forerunner  of  the  Transatlantic  line. 

Mr.  Low :  It  is  said  of  good  men  that  "  their  works 
do  follow  them."  This  toast  will  be  responded  to  by 
our  venerable  friend,  the  President  of  the  New- York, 
Newfoundland  and  London  Telegraph  Company,  whose 
goods  works  go  before  him,  and  are  ever  present  all 
around  him.  (Applause.)  I  have  the  pleasure  of  pre 
senting  Mr.  PETER  COOPER. 

ADDRESS  OF  PETER  COOPER,  Esq. 

MR.  PRESIDENT  AND  GENTLEMEN  :  In  the  toast  you  have 
drank  in  honor  of  the  New- York,  Newfoundland  and  Lon 
don  Telegraph  Company,  you  have  said,  Mr.  President, 
that  our  company  has,  by  p'assing  a  line  of  telegraph 
through  the  wilderness  to  the  sea,  become  the  forerunner 
of  the  Atlantic  line. 

You  might  have  said,  Mr.  President,  with  great  pro 
priety,  that  our  company  has  not  only  been  the  forerun 
ner,  but  was,  in  fact,  the  originator  of  the  Trans-Atlantic 
line. 

This  will  appear  from  the  fact  that  our  charter  declares 


45 

that,  "  Whereas  it  is  deemed  advisable  to  establish  tele 
graphic  communication  between  the  United  States  and 
Europe,  by  the  way  of  Newfoundland :  Be  it  therefore  en 
acted,  That  PETER  COOPER,  MOSES  TAYLOR,  CYRUS  W. 
FIELD  and  MARSHALL  0.  ROBERTS,  and  others,  be  incor 
porated  for  that  purpose."  In  compliance  with  that 
charter  we  have  laid  a  cable  through  that  great  arm  of 
the  sea,  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  The  effort  to  lay  this 
cable  was  attended  with  both  difficulty  and  danger.  We 
not  only  lost  our  cable  by  the  unfortunate  management  of 
our  captain,  but  came  near  losing  the  vessel,  with  all  lives 
on  board. 

We  then  had  to  order  another  cable,  which  was  finally 
laid,  and  worked  successfully  for  nine  years,  when  that 
cable  was  broken  by  the  anchor  of  a  vessel. 

After  several  unsuccessful  efforts  to  restore  this  cable, 
we  at  last  succeeded,  and  it  is  now  working  more  per 
fectly  than  it  did  when  it  was  first  put  down.  During 
our  efforts  to  restore  this  cable,  and  fearing  that  we  might 
not  be  successful,  we  ordered  a  third  cable  to  be  laid  by 
one  of  the  same  vessels  that  attended  the  "  Great  Eastern" 
in  the  laying  of  the  Atlantic  cable.  (Applause.) 

We  have  now  two  perfect  cables  working  across  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  two  cables  across  the  Straits  of 
Northumberland,  besides  cables  across  several  smaller 
streams.  We  shall  soon  have  two  complete  lines  through 
the  wilderness  in  Newfoundland  and  Nova  Scotia. 

We  are  now  making  arrangements  for  putting  down 
another  ocean  line  of  some  three  hundred  miles  in  length. 
This  line,  when  completed,  will  connect  Newfoundland 
with  the  French  island  of  St.  Pierre,  and  Nova  Scotia, 
and  will  give  us  a  water  line,  avoiding  a  great  part  of  the 
Indian  country  through  which  we  have  been  compelled 
to  pass. 


46 

By  these  several  lines,  forming,  as  they  do.  a  part  of  the 
great  Atlantic  line,  we  have  now  the  satisfaction  to  believe 
that  our  communication  with  the  European  world  will 
soon  be  as  perfect  as  human  ingenuity  can  make  it. 

As  you  have  just  heard  from  Mr.  FIELD,  the  Atlantic 
line  is  now  so  perfect  that  a  battery  of  a  single  drop  of 
water  has  been  sufficient  to  send  a  message  across  the 
ocean.  (Cheers.) 

Nearly  thirteen  years  of  unceasing  toil,  labor  and  ex 
pense  have  been  required  to  complete  a  work  that  now 
commands  the  admiration  and  wonder  of  the  world. 

Our  honored  guest  has  shown  how  entirely  inadequate 
human  language  is  to  draw  to  the  life  a  picture  of  such 
scenes  as  those  through  which  he  and  our  company  have 
been  compelled  to  pass. 

Nothing  short  of  the  energy,  skill  and  courage  of  CYRUS 
W.  FIELD  could  have  inspired  his  associates  with  courage 
to  go  on  through  thirteen  long  and  anxious  years,  con 
stantly  expending  money,  and  receiving  nothing  in  return. 
Thanks  to  a  kind  Providence,  we  have  at  last  been  led 
by  the  light  of  science  to  a  result  that  is  now  destined  to 
prove  a  blessing  to  the  world.  This  triumph  of  science 
and  labor  will  be  better  understood,  when  the  amount  of 
business  offered  shall  enable  the  companies  to  reduce  the 
price  to  the  lowest  point  that  will  pay  a  suitable  compen 
sation  for  the  vast  amount  that  has  been  expended  to  ac 
complish  the  work.  It  only  needs  one  moment's  reflec 
tion  on  the  boundless  field  out  of  which  business  will 
finally  flow  to  this  line,  to  form  some  idea  of  its  real  value 
to  the  world  in  the  future. 

For  one,  Mr.  President,  I  rejoice  in  every  application 
of  science  to  any  and  all  of  the  useful  purposes  of  life. 

I  rejoice  in  the  belief  that  science  will  yet  develope  and 
make  plain  the  laws  and  purposes  of  Deity. 


47 

I  trust  that  the  light  of  science,  which  is  the  light  of 
God,  will  finally  dispel  the  clouds  of  ignorance  which  pre 
vent  mankind  from  seeing  that  the  right  and  wise  use  of 
everything  is  a  virtue  and  a  good,  whilst  the  wrong  and 
excessive  use  of  anything  is  an  evil  and  a  mistake,  which 
it  is  the  interest  of  all  men  everywhere  to  avoid. 

I  rejoice  in  the  hope  that  the  work  in  which  our  friend 
and  guest  has  borne  so  noble  a  part,  will  yet  be  the  means 
of  sending  through  the  world  with  lightning  speed  a  better 
knowledge  of  the  fact  that  God  has  given  to  man  the 
world  and  all  that  in  it  is,  and  only  requires  that  we  shall 
keep,  subdue  and  hold  dominion,  by  exercising  a  right  or 
righteous  government  over  it.  (Applause.) 

Gentlemen,  I  will  give  you  a  sentiment.  I  give  you, 
gentlemen:  "Our  glorious  Union  of  States,  bound  to  a 
common  humanity  by  an  electric  chain.  May  it  tend  to 
establish  justice  as  the  only  possible  way  to  promote  a 
world's  welfare." 

THE  CHAIRMAN  :    The  sixth  regular  toast  is — 

The  Western  Union  Telegraph  and  the  Russian  Extension — The 
American  and  Asiatic  links  of  the  chain  encircling  the  globe. 

The  gentleman  who  will  speak  to  the  toast  is  too  well 
known  to  require  any  announcement  other  than  of  his 
own  name.  The  Chair  will  call  upon  Rev.  Dr.  BELLOWS. 
(Applause.) 

ADDRESS  OF  REV.  HENRY  W.  BELLOWS,  D.  D. 

MR.  PRESIDENT  AND  GENTLEMEN  :  Brevity,  I  believe,  is 
the  soul  of  wit,  and  especially  on  telegraphic  occasions ; 
and  therefore  I  shall  endeavor  to  condense  in  very  few 
words  what  I  think,  with  sufficient  time,  might  be  properly 
expanded  over  very  large  space. 


48 

Our  thoughts  and  our  eyes  have  thus  far  very  naturally 
been  directed  Eastward,  across  that  stormy  Atlantic  which 
has  had  its  iron  bridle  slipped  under  it  so  adroitly  by  our 
distinguished  guest  and  his  co-workers.  It  seems  to  be 
time  to  face  about  and  look  in  the  other  direction,  west 
ward  and  across  the  broad  and  mild-tempered  Pacific. 
For  the  United  States,  looked  at  on  MERCATOR'S  projection, 
seems  to  hold  the  central  position  on  the  globe,  just  mid 
way  between  the  great  oceans,  fronting  at  either  face  on 
Europe  and  Asia ;  but  with  nearly  three-quarters  of  the 
one  thousand  millions  of  the  earth's  population  standing 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Pacific,  and  inviting  the  trade  and 
commerce  of  an  enterprising  and  new  country  into  the 
greatest  market  of  the  world.  Already  a  sure  instinct  has 
led  the  vigorous  men  of  the  Empire  State  to  throw  out 
the  cords  of  their  tents  towards  the  Pacific,  and  it  is  a 
source  of  pride  to  know  that  the  capital  and  the  brains 
invested  in  that  immense  enterprise,  The  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Company,  with  its  paid-in  capital  of 
$20,000,000,  came  chiefly,  not  from  the  great  commercial 
and  financial  mart  in  which  we  are  assembled,  but  from 
an  inland  town  of  this  State,  Rochester,  a  town  which, 
knowing  the  disadvantages  of  isolation,  projected  a  plan 
for  bringing  the  whole  American  territory  into  close  con 
tact,  and  shrinking  this  continent  into  a  manageable  shape 
and  a  convenient  bulk  for  Liberty  and  Union  to  handle 
and  hold  on  to.  (Cheers.) 

Who  can  tell  what  this  country  already  owes  for  its 
integrity  to  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company? 
Did  it  not  keep  the  heart  of  our  whole  Pacific  brother 
hood,  separated  by  deserts  and  mountains,  or  otherwise 
approachable  only  by  a  voyage  of  five  thousand  miles, 
beating  towards  us  with  all  the  regularity  of  two  chro 
nometers,  timed  to  each  other,  through  our  great  war  ? 


49 

(Cheers.)  No  one  has  a  better  right  than  I  to  speak  of 
the  value  of  that  telegraph  wire.  Part  of  the  time,  all 
through  the  war,  I  was  using  it,  almost  regardless  of  ex 
pense,  to  send  tidings  and  thanks  and  urgent  demands  to 
the  noble  patriots  in  California,  Oregon  and  Nevada ;  and 
part  of  the  time  I  was  listening  in  California  to  its  daily 
click  as  it  told  us  in  San  Francisco  how  the  terrible  battles 
of  the  Wilderness  were  advancing,  and  how  GRANT  was 
"  fighting  it  out  on  that  line,"  although  it  took  him  not 
only  all  that  summer,  but  pretty  much  all  the  next. 
(Applause.) 

But  it  is  not  what  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  has 
done  on  this  continent,  vast  and  priceless  as  its  benefits 
are,  that  engages  our  chief  interest  to-night.  There  is 
nothing  National  or  purely  American  in  this  occasion. 
Telegraph  companies  are  now  not  content  with  continental 
proportions  ;  their  thoughts  are  cosmical ;  they,  like  those 
universal  philanthropists  and  Christians  who  say  "  our 
Field  is  the  world,"  contemplate  the  physical  geography 
of  the  whole  globe,  as  they  proceed  to  throw  their  thinking 
and  speaking  wires  about  it,  and  touching  it  here  and 
there  with  their  electric  fingers,  communicate  a  common 
consciousness  to  its  complete  surface. 

And  so,  when  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
saw  the  brave  capitalist  and  telegraphist  of  America 
seeking  to  bind  Europe  to  American  commerce,  and  saw 
him,  like  a  spent  swimmer,  sinking  again  and  again 
with  his  prize,  until  they  doubted  whether  he  would 
ever  come  to  the  surface  again,  they  devised  the  Over 
land  Telegraph  to  Europe  through  Asia;  certainly,  one 
of  the  boldest  and  most  magnificent  enterprises  ever 
conceived  by  man.  "  There  be  land-rats,  and  there  be 
water-rats ;"  there  be  under-sea  telegraphers  and  over 
land  telegraphers,  and  certainly,  for  polar  regions, 

4 


50 

telegraphs  on  poles  have  a  natural  claim  to  superiority 
over  telegraphs  under  water.  At  any  rate,  the  Russian 
Extension  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph,  which  we 
owe  to  the  vigorous  enterprise  and  personal  address  of 
Mr.  PERRY  McDoNOUGH  COLLINS — who  carries  victory  in 
his  very  name — aided  by  the  confidence  of  American 
capitalists,  has  chosen  the  land,  and  not  water,  for  its 
theatre  of  glory.  And  what  an  inconceivable  stretch  of 
territory  it  does  present  to  our  imagination !  Why,  sir, 
it  appalls  one's  powers  of  syllabication  and  utterance  to 
merely  mention  the  countries,  towns  and  cities  through 
which  this  line  of  telegraph  already  passes ;  all  the 
gutturals,  sneezes  and  labials ;  all  the  endless  vowelless 
cataract  of  consonants,  in  Indian,  Tchutchi,  Orkotch  and 
Irkoutch ;  with  all  the  itskys  and  bitskys,  chows  and 
changs,  of  Russian  and  Polish,  of  Mongolian  and  Chinese 
and  Japanese  languages,  will  not  serve  to  express  the 
confusion  of  tongues,  worse  than  the  original  Babel, 
which  the  mere  crowding  or  stringing  so  many  nations 
on  one  string,  like  dried-apples  in  a  New-England  farm 
house,  produces,  at  least,  in  the  imagination.  (Ap 
plause.) 

But  to  contemplate  seriously  the  wonderful  prospective 
effect  of  this  commerce  with  Asia  on  our  national — nay, 
on  what  is  far  beyond  that — our  common  human  prospects, 
is  most  kindling  to  the  larger  feelings  of  that  cosmopolite 
soul,  which  the  Maker  hid  in  the  orb-like  brain  of  man. 
I  might  spend  the  remainder  of  this  whole  evening  in 
reminding  you  of  the  inestimable  value  of  the  trade 
which  is  opened  among  its  seven  hundred  and  fifty  mil 
lions  by  this  network  of  telegraphs,  with  which  the 
Russian  Extension  is  connecting  you,  even  as  a  handle 
is  connected  with  the  net  with  which  you  fish.  I  might 
remind  you  that  your  sables  and  ermines,  your  beavers 


51 

and  foxes  and  wolverines,  in  short,  that  all  the  precious 
furs  that  serve  your  comfort  and  elegance,  come  from 
British  and  Russian  America ;  that  your  whaling  fleets 
find  stations  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  this  line  ; 
that  your  teas,  your  silks,  your  spices,  your  ginger  and 
your  dyes  are  collected  in  China,  India  and  Japan ; 
and  that  millions  are  there  waiting  to  exchange  the 
silver  hoard  of  ages  with  the  products  of  your  ingenuity. 
I  might,  perhaps,  touch  your  fancy  by  giving  you  a 
short  ride  in  Kamscatka,  behind  a  team  of  dogs,  or, 
better,  a  sledge-ride  in  Siberia,  behind  a  well-trained 
reindeer,  or  lift  you  on  a  camel  or  an  elephant  pacing 
beside  the  line  of  your  telegraph  track  in  some  portion  of 
its  way.  I  could  carry  you  by  the  remains  of  temples  as 
old  as  Marco  Polo's  descriptions,  and  show  you  the  ruins  of 
Genghis  Khan's  invasion.  I  could  lead  you  to  the  fairs 
of  Novogorod,  or  introduce  you  to  the  eight-year  old  boy 
who  is  waiting  for  his  imperial  crown,  in  China,  if  Russia 
don't  run  away  with  it  before  he  grows  up,  or  step 
across  and  call  on  the  Tycoon,  or  even,  what  would  be 
far  more  agreeable,  chat  an  hour  with  friend  Burlingame 
at  Pekin. 

But  all  these  interesting  considerations — inflaming  to 
fancy,  fragrant  with  odors  and  gums  and  spices,  bright 
with  gems  and  purple  colors,  and  wrapped  in  polychro 
matic  shawls — bringing,  too,  the  regions  of  the  Chinese 
Wall,  the  Arabian  Nights,  and  even  the  holy  deserts  of 
Sinai  and  the  sacred  places  where  our  religion  began,  to 
our  thoughts ;  all  these  considerations  yield  in  dignity 
and  importance  to  the  thought  that  Asia,  the  still  most 
populous  part  of  the  world,  is  coming  again  into  the 
circle  of  civilization,  within  the  reach  of  modern  ideas, 
near  to  Christian  sympathies  and  feelings,  and  within  the 
hand-grasp  of  Europe  and  America.  (Cheers.) 


52 

Nor  is  it  only  what  is  to  be  given  her  that  we  have  to 
think  of,  even  in  the  mission  of  ideas.  Asia  is  still  alive 
in  the  thoughts  she  stands  for!  Religion!  Revelation 
had  her  fountain-head  there,  humanly  speaking,  because 
the  East  is,  by  constitution,  temperament  and  providential 
fitness,  more  eminently  meditative  and  devout.  The 
masculine  will,  the  active,  and  not  the  passive  soul,  is  de 
veloped  in  Europe,  and  still  more  in  America.  But  it  is 
the  female  element  that  bears  the  germs  of  all  things. 
Asia  has  thoughts,  feelings,  experiences,  that  need  to  be 
added  to  cosmopolitan  civilization,  and  which  might  even 
suggest  valuable  lessons  to  faith  and  piety.  The  sense  of 
fate,  which  is  only  an  over-sense  of  God,  is  the  native  fruit 
of  Oriental  lands. 

I  believe  in  the  unity  of  the  race,  and  in  the  absolute 
necessity  of  bringing  all  the  quarters  of  the  globe  into 
concert  before  a  full  harmony  will  be  struck.  (Ap 
plause.) 

I  might,  I  ought  to  say  a  word  of  the  union  between 
America  and  Russia  which  this  extension  typifies  and 
cements.  The  rapid  and  noble  efforts  to-  reach  the 
Amoor,  which  that  gigantic  empire  of  the  Czars  has 
made,  shows  the  largeness  of  the  spirit  which  animates 
that  young  Colossus,  modern  Russia.  It  has  reached  the 
Straits  and  strides  them,  but  it  is  only  to  extend  a  hand 
of  perfect  sympathy  to  her  continental  peer,  the  young 
nation  that,  like  herself,  is  still  in  early  boyhood,  and  has 
the  enterprise  of  unexpended  spirits  and  unfettered  room. 
The  Russian  and  the  American  eagles  fly  together,  and 
without  temptation  to  quarrel.  In  our  great  extremity, 
cordial  expressions  of  sympathy  came,  not  from  old 
allies,  or  our  cousins  and  relations,  but  from  the  nation 
with  which  we  had  least  political  affinity  and  least 
commercial  intercourse,  and  least  lingual  or  personal 


53 

connection.  We  may  well  rejoice  that  the  two  powers 
of  greatest  territorial  expansion,  and  perhaps  greatest 
military  force,  are  now  warm  friends,  and  closing  up  the 
distance  between  them  by  an  increasing  knowledge  of 
each  other,  a  growing  commerce  in  the  Amoor  and  the 
Baltic,  and  by  this  wondrous  telegraphic  wire.  (Ap 
plause.) 

I  close  with  giving  you  a  toast,  which  has  a  feeble  pun 
in  it  that  may  be  excused : 

Russia  and  America :  May  they  always  meet  in  a  Pacific  sea,  and 
never  find  themselves  in  Straits  so  narrow  that  they  do  not  remember 
their  mutual  Behrings  !  (Loud  applause  and  laughter.) 

SPEECH  OF  ADMIRAL  DAVID   G.  FARRAGUT,  U.  S.  NAVY. 

The  CHAIRMAN  then  read  the  next  regular  toast,  as 
follows : 

"The  naval  ships  of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain:  in  1858, 
meeting  in  mid-ocean,  and  contending  together  against  the  forces  of  the 
sea,  they  established  a  new  bond  of  union  between  the  two  countries." 

% 

He  called  for  a  reply  from  the  hero  of  New-Orleans  and 
Mobile. 

Admiral  FARRAGUT,  on  .rising,  was  received  with  hearty 
cheers.  He  said : 

Mr.  PRESIDENT,  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN  :  Whilst  I  feel 
complimented  by  the  call  to  respond  to  the  sentiment 
which  has  just  been  read  to  the  company,  I  cannot  but 
express  regret  that  some  person  more  competent  than 
myself  had  not  been  selected.  (Cheers.)  It  was  my 
good  fortune,  Mr.  President,  to  be  in  this  city  in  1858,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  great  celebration  of  laying  the  tele 
graphic  cable,  the  result,  to  use  the  words  of  the  senti- 


54 

ment  just  offered,  of  the  naval  ships  of  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain  "  meeting  in  mid-ocean,  and  contend 
ing  together  against  the  forces  of  the  sea."  (Applause.) 
I  well  remember  the  gratification  I  then  felt  that  my 
fears  had  not  been  realized,  and  I  expressed  my  admi 
ration  for  the  indefatigable  energy,  perseverance  and 
skill  displayed  by  Mr.  FIELD,  your  honored  guest,  and 
his  co-workers  in  the  cause  of  science,  the  developments 
of  which  had  in  the  last  few  years  led  us  to  believe  that 
we  knew  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  even  better  than  its 
surface.  Few,  if  any,  Mr.  President,  felt  more  deeply 
interested  in  this  wonderful,  nay,  most  wonderful  enter 
prise,  than  myself,  during  the  entire  labors  of  your  hon 
ored  guest,  and  no  one  rejoiced  more  in  the  result.  And 
although  I  do  not  consider  that  our  Navy  had  an  equal 
share  in  the  final  contest  with  the  elements  in  establishing 
this  bond  of  union,  yet  I  have  an  abiding  faith  that 
whenever  or  wherever  the  navies  of  Great  Britain  and 
the  United  States  unite  their  efforts  for  the  advancement 
of  civilization,  science  or  humanity,  they  will  seldom,  if 
ever,  fail;  (cheers;)  and  I  sincerely  trust  that  they  may 
always  be  so  fortunate  as  to  receive  the  approbation  of 
their  fellow-countrymen  as  in  the  present  case.  (Cheers.) 
That  this  bond  of  union  which,  now  unites  the  two  coun 
tries  may  never  be  severed,  is  our  sincere  desire ;  but 
should  it  chance  to  be,  the  recent  skill  and  energy  dis 
played  by  those  who  laid  it,  will  be  sufficient  to  repair 
and  reunite  it.  (Loud  Applause.) 

SPEECH  OF  GEN.  GEORGE  G.  MEADE,  U.  S.  ARMY. 

Mr.  Low  said  that  he  had  been  instructed  to  read  a 
toast  which  had  been  unintentionally  and  by  error  omitted 
from  the  regular  list.  It  was : 


55 

"  The  Army  of  the  United  States,  represented  by  the  hero  of  Gettys- 
burgh."  (Loud  cheers.) 

As  General  MEADE  rose  to  reply,  the  cheering  was 
renewed,  and  continued  for  some  time.  When  quiet  was 
restored,  he  said : 

LADIES,  AND  GENTLEMEN  or  THE  CHAMBER  OF  COM 
MERCE  :  If  I  had  been  consulted  I  should  have  protested 
against  any  error  having  been  made  on  this  occasion.  I 
do  not  see  why  I  should  have  been  brought  before  you 
at  this  particular  moment.  I  came  here  after  having 
travelled  a  hundred  miles  on  a  labor  of  love  and  of  duty 
to  do  honor  to  your  distinguished  guest,  the  hero  of  this 
evening,  and  the  only  one,  in  my  judgment,  who  is  enti 
tled  to  any  consideration  on  this  occasion.  (Cheers.)  I 
have  watched  with  eagerness  the  struggle  through  which 
he  has  passed,  and  the  disasters  which  attended  his  early 
efforts ;  and  I  have  admired  and  applauded  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart  the  tenacity  of  purpose  with  which 
that  man  has  continued  to  hold  on  to  his  original  idea, 
with  a  firm  faith  to  carry  to  completion  one  of  the  greatest 
works  this  world  has  ever  seen.  (Cheers.)  I  came  here, 
therefore,  to  do  him  honor,  and  to  show  by  my  presence, 
as  far  as  I  could  in  my  humble  capacity,  how  much  I 
respect  him  for  all  the  qualities  he  has  shown,  which  have 
made  him  not  only  the  representative  of  this  great  city, 
but  of  our  country,  and,  indeed,  I  may  say  of  the  world. 
(Cheers.)  Now,  for  what  you  have  said  of  the  army,  be 
pleased  to  accept  my  warmest  thanks.  The  army  requires 
but  little  from  me.  Its  history  is  known  to  you.  In  a 
community  represented  by  such  intelligence  and  educa 
tion  as  I  see  before  me  now,  the  deeds  of  this  army  and 
its  record  are  too  well  known  to  need  any  recital  on  my 
part.  It  would  be  a  work  of  supererogation.  At  this 


56 

late  hour  I  will  say  nothing  of  what  the  army  has  done.  I 
will  only  pledge  you  that  in  the  future  the  army  will  do — 
as  in 'the  past  it  always  has  done — its  duty,  (cheers,)  and 
endeavor  to  uphold  the  honor,  the  integrity  and  the  flag 
of  our  common  country.  (Loud  cheers.) 

The  Chair  read  the  next  regular  toast : 

"  Captain  ANDERSON  and  the  officers  of  the  Great  Eastern,  and  the 
other  ships  engaged  in  the  late  expedition — they  deserve  the  thanks  not 
only  of  their  own  country,  but  of  the  civilized  world." 

The  Chairman  called  upon  Rev.  Dr.  HITCHCOCK  to 
respond. 

ADDRESS  OF  REV.  ROSWELL  D.  HITCHCOCK,  D.  D. 

MR.  PRESIDENT,  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN  :  I  promise  you 
the  greatest  brevity  in  my  discourse.  It  is  now  nearly 
1900  years  since  the  poet  VIRGIL  set  sail  from  the  eastern 
shore  of  Italy  for  Athens.  On  the  eve  of  his  departure, 
his  friend,  HORACE,  indited  one  of  his  most  felicitous  odes, 
in  which  he  inveighed  against  the  audacity  of  the  human 
race.  "  The  strength  of  triple  brass,"  he  says,  "  must 
have  girded  about  the  breast  of  that  man  who  first 
launched  his  frail  barque  on  the  savage  sea."  This,  Mr. 
President,  was  not  the  extravagance  of  poetry ;  it  was 
not  the  timidity  of  an  uncommercial  age  and  people.  No 
man  can  go  to  sea  in  this  our  day,  in  the  fastest  ship,  with 
out  wondering  that  any  vessel  gets  safely  across  the  tre 
mendous  expanse.  No  man  passes  through  these  roaring 
waters  without  admiring  the  heroism  of  every  commander, 
of  every  sailor  who  undertakes  it.  It  is  a  great  thing  to 
cross  these  three  thousand  miles  of  barren,  tempestuous 
sea,  and  science  will  never  annihilate  the  peril.  Ask  any 


57 

experienced  commander,  and  he  will  tell  you  he  wonders 
so  many  ships  keep  afloat. 

HORACE  inveighs  against  PROMETHEUS,  who  stole  fire 
from  Heaven.  I  beg  to  know  what  the  Roman  poet  would 
have  said,  had  he  lived  in  our  times  and  found  both  auda 
cities  combined — the  sea  crossed  and  the  lightning  sent 
through  its  bosom !  (Applause.) 

This,  I  dare  to  say,  is  the  most  stupendous  achievement 
in  the  history  of  our  kind  upon  the  globe ;  and  we  are 
to  regard  this  achievement,  not  boastingly,  but  in  all  hu 
mility.  The  Providence  of  God  has  been  with  us.  The 
u  Great  Eastern "  was  accounted  a  commercial  blunder. 
It  was  u  the  wisdom  of  God  and  the  power  of  God,"  in 
order  to  this  great  enterprise.  This  "  commercial  blun 
der"  was  necessary  to  its  success.  But  for  the  "Great 
Eastern,  "  the  Atlantic  cable  would  not  now  be  laid. 
(Applause.) 

In  regard  to  the  English  people,  before  coming  to  Capt. 
ANDERSON,  one  word.  I  appreciate  the  enterprise  of 
America  in  regard  to  all  those  lines  of  oceanic  communi- 
catioji  which  American  capital  has  set  on  foot ;  but  I 
think  no  man  has  crossed  the  ocean  which  roars  between 
us  and  England,  without  confessing  that  the  English 
nation  has  surpassed  all  others  in  building  ships  for  this 
purpose,  fast  and  sure. 

This  Cunard  line  has  yet  sent  no  ship  to  the  bottom. 
It  has  taken  every  man  safely  across.  It  is  a  grand 
achievement,  and  we  must  acknowledge  it,  to  the  credit 
of  the  English  nation.  (Applause.) 

Gapt.  ANDERSON  is  not  a  man  in  the  dull  routine  of 
English  service.  He  is  a  scientific  man ;  a  well  read  man  ; 
he  is  a  cultured  man.  I  saw  him  first  (and  the  only  time) 
in  the  house  of  our  friend,  Mr.  FIELD,  just  before  he  set 
sail  on  his  last  passage  to  England,  intending  to  go  in  the 


58 

"  Great  Eastern,"  to  lay  the  cable,  a  year  ago — when  it 
failed.  Nevertheless,  seeing  how  assured  the  man  was, 
how  cool,  how  balanced,  I  felt  persuaded,  in  spite  of  all 
sceptics  might  say,  that  the  thing  would,  at  some  time, 
somehow  or  other,  be  done.  (Applause.)  I  felt  as  I 
did  when  I  met  Mr.  FIELD  in  Paris — when  he  gave  me  a 
piece  of  the  cable,  (that  he  may  be  interested  to  learn  I 
left  with  the  Monks  on  St.  Bernard,  much  to  their 
delight) — that  somehow  the  thing  would  be  done ;  because 
all  things  are  possible  to  faith — faith  conquers  all  obstacles. 
It  was  the  faith  of  Capt.  ANDERSON,  and  the  faith  of  Mr.. 
FIELD,  above  all,  that  insured  the  success  of  the  experi 
ment.  (Applause.) 

But  now  I  have  to  repeat  to  you  one  thing  more  about 
this  Capt.  ANDERSON,  and  with  that  I  will  close.  He  has 
the  generosity  of  a  sailor ;  and  if  there  be  in  England  any 
men,  or  any  man,  at  all  disposed  to  lessen  the  credit  of  our 
countryman  in  regard  to  this  great  enterprise,  Capt. 
ANDERSON  is  not  one  of  those  men — is  not  that  man. 
(Cheers.)  When  the  cable  was  safely  landed  this  sum 
mer  at  Heart's  Content,  a  dinner  was  given  on  board  the 
"  Great  Eastern'7  by  Capt.  ANDERSON  to  the  officers  of  the 
telegraphic  fleet,  at  which  he  said,  in  presence  of  all  who 
had  borne  a  part  in  that  achievement,  and  who  might 
justly  feel  that  their  own  share  in  contributing  to  the 
general  result  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  u  he  begged 
to' congratulate  all  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  work, 
but  no  living  man,  in  his  opinion,  was  deserving  of  more 
credit  than  CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  to  whose  energy,  perseverance 
and  active  exertions  the  world  was  mainly  indebted  for  the 
great  work  now  so  happily  terminated."  (Applause.) 

Our  friend,  I  am  persuaded,  would  be  among  the  last 
to  depreciate  the  share  of  Providence  in  this  great  work 
— would  be  among  the  last  to  lessen  the  just  reputation  of 


59 

any  man  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic ;  and  yet  it  is 
due  to  him  that  we  say,  that  the  one  name  which  could 
not  have  been  dropped,  without  a  fatal  issue  to  the  enter 
prise,  was  the  name  of  CYRUS  W.  FIELD.  (Applause.) 
Whatever  other  man  might  have  been  spared,  this  man 
could  not  have  been  spared.  He  was  the  sine  qua  non  of 
success  in  this  grand  enterprise  ;  and  we  honor  this  robust 
Englishman,  this  honest  sailor,  for  confessing  it.  (En 
thusiastic  cheers.) 

The  CHAIRMAN  read  the  next  toast : 

"  The  Capitalists  of  England  and  America — who  use  their  wealth 
to  achieve  great  enterprises,  and  leave  behind  them  enduring  monuments 
of  their  wise  munificence." 

He  called  upon  Rev.  Dr.  LITTLE  JOHN,  of  Brooklyn,  to 
respond. 

ADDRESS  OF  REV.  A.  N.  LITTLEJOHN,  D.  D. 

Mr.  CHAIRMAN: 

Standing  as  I  do  in  the  presence  of  so  many  whose 
words  would  have  more  weight,  I  might  be  pardoned  for 
hesitating  to  respond  to  the  very  important  sentiment 
just  announced.  But,  sir,  fully  persuaded  that  every  con 
sideration  of  justice  and  propriety  demands  that  that 
sentiment  should  find  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  thoughts 
and  associations  which  this  occasion  suggests,  I  shall 
endeavor,  though  with  necessary  brevity,  to  point  the 
impressive  moral  which  it  embodies.  We  could  not, 
indeed,  suitably  commemorate  the  triumph  whose  chief 
agent  we  are  assembled  to  honor,  and  whose  intrinsic 
greatness  will  make  it  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  century, 
without  a  formal  and  emphatic  recognition  of  those 
sagacious,  large-hearted  capitalists  of  England  and  America 


60 

who  so  nobly  represented  in  that  memorable  enterprise 
the  wealth  of  the  two  countries.     (Cheers.) 

For,  though  science  and  the  useful  arts  had  prepared 
the  way  for  it ;  though  the  prophetic  instincts  of  two  con 
tinents  had  ripened  into  a  passionate  hope  for  its  achieve 
ment,  yet,  without  wealth  freely,  deliberately,  repeatedly 
ventured  even  to  the  limit,  as  we  have  heard  to-night 
from  Mr.  FIELD,  of  sinking  over  twelve  millions  of  dollars 
before  success  was  attained — without  wealth  under  the 
sway  of  an  intelligence  so  enlarged  by  culture,  by  com 
merce,  by  love  for  the  best  interests  of  an  advancing 
civilization  as  to  grasp  the  world's  want,  and  be  ready  to 
risk  much  to  meet  it — the  success  we  celebrate  to-night 
would  have  been  impossible.  All  honor,  therefore,  to 
those  whose  wealth  saved  from  failure  this  long-doubted, 
often-tried,  but  now  historic  triumph  of  genius  over  space, 
of  character  over  difficulties  once  deemed  insurmountable, 
of  the  outstretched  arms  of  two  kindred  nations  over  the 
wide  waste  of  waters  rolling  between  them.  (Applause.) 

But  very  justly  this  sentiment  alludes  to  these  capitalists 
only  as  representatives  of  a  class  whom  the  intellect,  the 
benevolence  and  the  Christianity  of  the  age  are  quick  to 
discover  and  never  reluctant  to  honor.  It  suggests  many 
special  and  collateral  questions  of  interest  which  I  may 
not  now  be  permitted  to  discuss.  I  shall  not,  therefore, 
attempt  to  enter  into  the  record  which  the  capital  of  our 
time  has  been  making  for  itself,  and  neither  shall  I  speak 
of  wealth  as  an  object  of  honorable  ambition,  nor  of  the 
unhappy  extent  to  which  it  has,  in  many  quarters,  invited 
and  justified  the  charges  of  selfishness,  negligence  and 
profligacy.  Passing  over  these  topics,  I  shall  call  atten 
tion  to  a  more  general  and,  in  relation  to  this  occasion, 
more  commanding  thought.  By  the  operation  of  many 
causes,  wealth  has  been  advanced  to  a  position  of  power 


61 

in  our  modern  life  which  renders  it  a  question  of  mo 
mentous  interest  how,  on  the  whole,  that  power  will! be 
used — by  what  examples,  by  what  purposes  and  inspira 
tions  it  will  be  guided.  As  aristocracies  of  blood  and  of 
royal  patent  wilt  and  wither  under  our  nineteenth  century 
sunlight,  so  that  of  wealth,  wielded  by  educated  intelli 
gence,  puts  in  a  more  definite  and  positive  claim  for  ruler- 
ship  and  authority.  Therefore,  every  event,  every  charac 
ter,  every  action  of  those  whom  fortune  or  industry  and 
talent  have  placed  in  this  class,  has  a  special  significance 
as  showing  how  society  is  likely  to  be  governed  by  this 
rising  force. 

Heretofore  the  accumulation  of  wealth  has  been  the 
standing  theme  of  our  current  economies.  The  sources 
whence  it  is  derived,  the  laws  regulating  the  exchanges 
of  values,  soil,  climate,  labor,  machinery,  skilled  industry 
and  kindred  subjects,  have  been  discussed  and  sifted  until 
the  common  mind  of  to-day  rivals  in  acuteness,  in  sagacity 
and  general  knowledge  the  best  thinkers  and  educators  of 
a  generation  since.  But  now  our  enormous  material  de 
velopment  and  the  diversified  interests  of  society  have 
pushed  into  the  foreground  of  public  thought  another  and 
more  important  question — the  question  of  the  right  use 
and  healthy  distribution  of  wealth — how  it  shall  be  made 
tributary  to  the  best  interests  of  our  expanding  life — how 
it  shall  be  brought  to  do  the  work  which  humanity  needs 
and  which  Providence  commands.  Certainly  there  are 
abundant  proofs  of  the  growing  subordination  of  the  ma 
terial  to  the  moral  aspects  of  capital.  Its  cold,  heavy 
bulk  begins  to  be  penetrated  and  stirred  by  the  leaven  of 
kindlier  sympathies.  The  soft  showers  of  an  approaching 
tenderness  drop  with  genial  welcome  upon  its  ribs  of  iron 
and  granite.  It  invites  and  listens  with  respectful  interest 
to  the  discussion  of  problems  affecting  at  once  its  safety 


62 

and  its  duty,  from  which  only  a  few  years  ago  it  would 
have  turned  in  moody  silence  or  open  disgust.     It  begins 
to  see  God's  own  heralds  of  admonition  and  rebuke  in  the 
groans  and  tears  of  virtuous  poverty.       The   moral  of 
naked  backs  and  empty  stomachs  and  half  sheltered  bodies 
amid  limitless  abundance,  it  begins  to  understand.     We, 
sir,  are  passing  into  a  period  which,  to  say  the  least,  will 
rate  the  energy  which  heaps  up,  lower  than  the  beneficent 
wisdom  which  scatters.     Men  that  live  only  to  fill  the 
coffers  of  private  selfishness — men  who  bury  their  hard- 
earned  talent  in  profitless  isolation — men  who  seize  the 
fleeces   of  sheep  which  they  have  not  fed,  but  left  to 
wander  over  lonely  moors — such  men  the  large,  hopeful 
and  sympathetic  spirit  of  our  time  will  estimate  at  their 
true  worth  ;  nay,  will  find  hands  to  plough  them  under  as 
the  rust  and  dross  of  a  generous  and  humane  civilization. 
But  happily  it  is  laid  upon  me  to  speak  of  another  sort 
of  character — of  men  on  both  sides  the  water  who  will 
leave  enduring  monuments  of  their  wise  munificence,  and 
will  turn  their  wealth  to  the  achievement  of  enterprises 
which  in  their  final  influence  shall  bless  not  one,  but  every 
continent  of  the  globe.     It  is   for  these  that  I   rise   to 
invoke  the  special  regard  and  admiration  of  this  assembly 
— men  who  are  moved  by  a  profound  sense  of  the  duties 
as  well  as  of  the  dignities  of  wealth — men  who  make  it  a 
conscience  to  believe  that,  as  capital  is  the  fruit  of  the 
energies,  the  opportunities  and  securities  of  civilization, 
so  in  turn  capital  should  be  its  helper,  its  ornament  and 
safeguard — men  who  are  doing  more  than  any  thing  else 
to  redeem  us  from  the  painful  and  dishonoring  imputation 
of  living  in  an  age 

Of  quicken7  d  brains  and  hearts  of  stone, 
Which  only  tends  to  sordid  ends, 
And  whets  the  appetite  for  gain. 


63 

Aye,  sir,  men  who  are  at  work  upon  the  stupendous 
moral  miracle  of  transforming  riches  from  the  traditional 
root  of  evil  into  a  fountain  of  healing  waters  for  the  igno 
rant,  the  wretched  and  the  oppressed  of  every  land.  Such 
are  the  BRASSEYS.  the  FENDERS,  the  WORTLEYS,  the  ELLIOTS, 
the  BARCLAYS,  the  BEWLEYS  and  the  GOOCHS  of  Great 
Britain,  with  whose  deeds  we  are  more  familiar  than  with 
their  names.  Such,  too,  (and  I  may  name  only  a  few  from 
a  list  growing  larger  and  richer  every  year,)  are  the 
MLNTURNS,  the  COOPERS,  the  CORNELLS,  the  Lows,  (ap 
plause,)  the  DODGES,  the  TAYLORS,  of  America.  Such,  too 
—most  illustrious  example  of  all — is  our  own  PEABODY, 
(applause,)  (for  him  no  plural  may  be  used,  for  he  has  no 
twin  name  as  yet  on  either  side  of  the  sea,)  whose  un 
paralleled  munificence  to  the  cause  of  charity,  the  cause  of 
education  and  science,  the  tongue  of  envy  and  detraction 
cannot  lessen.  PEABODY  !  Sir,  to  use  the  words  of  a  poet 
whose  voice  has  just  reached  us  from  England  : 

Where'er  that  honored  name  is  heard, 

The  tears  will  gleam  in  woman's  eyes, 
The  hearts  of  men  will  stir  and  creep, 

And  blessings  to  their  lips  will  rise. 

Though  Science  joined  the  sundered  worlds, 

It  needed  yet  what  he  has  done  ; 
The  noblest  actions,  meekly  wrought, 

Have  knit  the  hearts  of  both  in  one. 

It  is  these  men,  and  the  class  to  which  they  belong, 
who  lift  capital  out  of  the  atmosphere  of  sordid  vulgarity, 
and  clothe  it  with  honor.  It  is  men  of  this  mould  who 
interpret  and  embody  the  true  instinct  of  safety  in  the 
vast  accumulations  of  living  talent  and  industry.  Their 
spirit,  their  enterprise,  their  endeavors  to  promote  the 
public  good,  constitute  the  only  shield  and  buckler 


64 

which  shall  securely  protect  our  growing  wealth  against 
the  class  jealousies,  violences  and  anarchies  which,  sooner 
or  later,  will  spring  from  our  intense,  restless,  many-sided 
and  often  tumultuous  democratic  life.  Men  of  this 
stamp,  let  us  not  question,  are  writing  their  names 
upon  something  better  than  pyramids,  mausoleums, 
palaces  and  broad  acres — the  petty  ambition  of  monarchs 
and  conquerors — even  upon  the  hearts  of  this  and  of 
coming  generations.  (Applause.) 

England  and  America,  long  affiliated  by  a  thousand 
ties  of  blood,  literature,  commerce,  government  and 
religion,  but  now,  at  last,  fused  into  one,  by  the  electric 
flame  which  makes  the  consciousness  of  each  the  living 
segment  of  a  common  brain :  may  the  wealth  of  both  be 
consecrated  more  and  more  to  the  permanent  interests  of 
a  Christian  civilization.  (Prolonged  cheers.) 

The  following  sentiment  was  next  read : 

While  expressing  our  grateful  appreciation  of  the  energy  and  sagacity 
that  practically  achieved  the  spanning  of  the  Atlantic  by  the  electric 
current,  let  us  not  fail  to  do  honor  to  those  whose  genius  and  patient 
investigation  of  the  laws  of  nature  furnished  the  scientific  knowledge 
requisite  to  success. 

The  CHAIRMAN  said  he  had  a  letter  from  Prof.  HENRY, 
who  was  assigned  to  respond  to  this  toast,  which  was 
too  long  to  read,  but  would  be  published  in  the  pro 
ceedings.  It  was  their  duty,  in  this  connection,  also 
to  propose  the  health  of  Prof.  MOUSE  ;  for,  when  we 
revert  to  the  history  of  electricity  and  its  usefulness  to 
mankind,  we  had  to  go  back  to  him ;  and  even  at  this 
late  hour  he  would  propose  the  health  of  Prof.  MORSE. 
(Drank  with  applause.) 


65 

The  CHAIRMAN  read  the  following  letter  from   Hon. 
WASHINGTON  HUNT,  Ex-Governor  of  New-York  : 

NEW-YORK,  202  FIFTH  AVENUE,  Nov.  IQth,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  regret  that  the  feeble  state  of  my  health  forbids  my  acceptance  of 
your  invitation  to  meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  at  dinner,  "  to  exchange 
"  congratulations  on  the  happy  result  of  his  efforts  in  the  great  work  of 
"  uniting,  by  telegraph,  the  Old  World  with  the  New." 

It  would  be  gratifying  to  me  to  participate  with  you,  in  celebrating  an 
event  which  must  be  regarded  as  the  crowning  achievement  of  an  age, 
so  remarkable  for  its  majestic  progress  in  inventions  and  improvements, 
calculated  to  promote  the  interests  of  civilization,  and  the  welfare  of 
mankind ;  and  if  it  were  possible,  I  would  gladly  join  in  rendering  due 
honor  to  your  distinguished  guest,  to  whose  enlightened  energy  and 
unconquerable  perseverance  we  are  so  largely  indebted,  for  the  final 
consummation  of  this  great  and  difficult  enterprise. 

By  this  new  and  wonderful  agency,  transmitting  intelligence  under 
mighty  oceans  and  over  the  loftiest  mountains,  to  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth,  new  relations  are  created  between  the  nations  of  the  world. 
However  remote,  they  are  brought  closely  together,  and  united  by  fresh 
ties  of  interest,  sympathy  and  peace,  which  cannot  but  exert  a  beneficent 
influence  upon  their  future  career  and  destiny. 

While  the  New  World  is  indebted  to  the  Old,  for  so  large  a  share  of 
the  arts  of  humanity  and  civilization,  it  is  a  source  of  just  national  pride, 
that  we  are  enabled,  in  some  degree,  to  requite  the  obligation,  by  the 
successful  efforts  of  American  intellect  and  invention.  We  cannot  forget 
that  the  sublime  instrumentality  of  the  telegraph,  by  which  a  new  light  is 
diffused  over  the  face  of  the  globe,  was  conceived  and  perfected  by  the 
matchless  genius  and  skill  of  one  of  our  countrymen,  whose  name  will  be 
revered  and  honored  by  all  the  nations,  during  all  coming  time. 
I  remain,  gentlemen,  with  great  regard,  yours  truly, 

WASHINGTON  HUNT. 
Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 
WILLIAM  E.  DODGE, 
JONATHAN  STURGES, 
STEWART  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES, 

Committee. 
5 


66 

The  next  toast  in  order  was 

Commerce  and  the  Atlantic  Cable — prime  agent  and  instrument  of 
man's  advancement,  through  accelerated  intercourse  between  the  Old 
World  and  the  New, 

Responded  to  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  Hon. 
GEORGE  OPDYKE,  late  Mayor  of  the  City  of  New- York. 

SPEECH  OF  THE  HON.  GEORGE  OPDYKE. 

MR.  PRESIDENT  : 

The  message  you  have  just  received  from  Capt.  ANDER 
SON  to  the  honored  guest  on  your  right,  which  has  been 
flashed  through  the  wires  this  evening  from  London  to  the 
room  in  which  we  are  assembled,  affords  ocular  demon 
stration  of  the  fact  that  time  is  no  longer  a  necessary  ele 
ment  in  the  transmission  of  intelligence  across  the  Atlantic. 
This  great  truth,  though  now  clearly  established,  is  at  once 
so  novel  and  so  astounding  that  we  are  as  yet  unprepared 
to  realize  its  full  significance.  That  its  results  must  be 
most  beneficent ;  that  it  will  brush  away,  as  with  the  ma 
gician's  wand,  one  of  the  chief  hindrances  to  the  world's 
progress ;  that  it  will  promote  the  commercial  intercourse, 
the  prosperity  and  the  peace  of  the  world,  we  all  instinct 
ively  feel  and  believe.  But  we  must  await  the  teachings 
of  experience  before  we  attempt  an  exact  portraiture  of 
the  benefits  that  this  accelerated  intercourse  will  confer. 

The  sentiment  you  have  asked  me  to  respond  to,  cor 
rectly  implies  that  these  benefits,  whatever  may  be  their 
extent,  must  be  looked  for  chiefly  through  the  mediation 
of  commerce.  Commerce  is  the  great  agency  for  pro 
moting  the  social  as  well  as  the  commercial  intercourse  of 
men  and  of  nations.  Its  operations  and  its  influence  are 
world  wide.  It  binds  the  human  family  together  by  a 


67 

chain  of  inter-dependence  and  a  community  of  thought. 
Its  office  is  to  supply  the  mutual  wants  of  man  by  ex 
changing  the  surplus  products  of  every  individual  of  every 
nationality.  In  performing  this  service  it  enlarges  the 
aggregate  production  of  wealth  by  permitting  the  division 
of  employments ;  and  it  widens  the  circle  of  human  en 
joyments  by  placing  within  the  reach  of  all  the  produc 
tions  of  every  clime.  In  effecting  the  exchange  of 
commodities  it  necessarily  leads  to  an  interchange  of  ideas 
and  opinions,  through  which  knowledge  is  diffused,  pre 
judices  obliterated,  and  the  race  thus  elevated  to  a  higher 
state  of  civilization  and  refinement.  (Applause.) 

The  usefulness  of  commerce  is  measured  by  the  free 
dom  and  celerity  of  its  movements.  Its  votaries  are  con 
stantly  striving  for  means  of  accelerated  intercourse.  To 
overcome  the  obstacles  that  beset  its  path,  they  have 
dotted  the  ocean  with  ships,  and  grooved  the  land  with  a 
labyrinth  of  rail-roads  and  canals.  But  these  efficient  aux 
iliaries  have  not  satisfied  the  aspirations  of  modern  com 
merce.  In  this  age  of  mighty  progress,  it  has  longed  for 
increased  facilities  in  the  transmission  of  intelligence. 
Thanks  to  the  genius  of  Prof.  MORSE  and  his  co-laborers 
in  physical  science,  it  has  recently  been  furnished,  like 
the  animal  organism,  with  a  system  of  nerves  through 
which  it  may  transmit  its  volitions  with  the  quickness  of 
thought.  But  until  now  this  network  of  electric  nerves 
has  been  bisected  by  the  Atlantic,  so  that  every  inter 
continental  volition  or  message  that  reached  either  shore 
of  that  broad  ocean,  was  arrested  in  its  course  and  sub 
jected  to  at  least  ten  days'  delay  in  its  ferriage  across. 
The  restless  spirit  of  commercial  enterprise  could  not  well 
brook  such  delay.  But  how  to  devise  a  remedy  was  a 
question  not  easily  answered.  The  problem  seemed  as 
difficult  of  solution  as  any  with  which  the  human  mind 


68 

had  ever  grappled.  Thanks  to  the  distinguished  gentle 
man  whom  we  have  met  to  honor,  and  his  associates  in  the 
great  enterprise,  the  problem  has  been  solved  ;  the  diffi 
culties  have  been  met  and  overcome.  The  continental 
sections  have  been  united  by  a  spinal  electric  cord 
stretched  across  the  bottom  of  the  Atlantic.  The  electric 
nerves  of  commerce  are  now  a  unit,  and  co-extensive  with 
its  entire  domain.  Two  thousand  miles  of  watery  space 
have  been,  for  purposes  of  communication,  practically  con 
densed  into  as  many  inches,  and  ten  days  of  time  into  as 
many  seconds;  and  we  now  find  ourselves  virtually  with 
in  speaking  distance  of  all  Europe.  (Applause.) 

Mr.  President,  it  may  appear  to  some  that  I  have 
unduly  magnified  the  functions  of  commerce,  in  calling 
the  electric  telegraph  its  nervous  system.  I  am  aware 
that  that  instrument  has  also  its  political  and  social 
uses  in  the  transmission  of  diplomatic  notes  and  messages 
of  friendship  and  affection.  But  these  are  as  nothing 
compared  with  those  connected  with  commerce.  A 
gentleman  familiar  with  the  subject  informs  me  that 
the  chief  revenue  of  all  our  telegraphic  lines  is  derived 
from  despatches  directly  relating  to  commerce.  If  we 
should  embrace  those  indirectly  connected  with  it,  and 
growing  out  of  it.  we  should  find  but  an  infinitesimal 
remainder. 

It  is  most  fitting,  therefore,  that  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  of  New- York  should  do  honor  to  one  of  its 
own  members  who,  from  first  to  last,  has  been  the 
leading  spirit  of  the  great  work  which  has  placed  this 
commercial  emporium  of  the  continent  in  instant  com 
munication  with  the  whole  commercial  world.  It  is 
also  proper,  that  the  commercial  interest,  everywhere, 
should  acknowledge  its  obligations  to  him  who  has 
been  so  instrumental  in  conferring  on  it,  and,  through 


69 

it,  on  the  world  at  large,  this  inestimable  boon.  In 
truth,  all  must  instinctively  honor  the  sagacity  that 
projected,  the  moral  courage  that  inaugurated,  and  the 
heroic  faith  that  accomplished  a  telegraphic  union  of 
the  continents — a  union  which  cannot  fail  to  give  a 
quickening  impulse,  not  merely  to  the  interchange  of 
ideas  and  products,  but  to  the  future  advancement 
of  humanity.  (Applause.) 

The  next  toast  was  as  follows : 

"  Works  of  intercommunication  by  land  and  by  sea ;  the  distinguishing 
features  of  the  nineteenth  century." 

The  CHAIRMAN,  in  announcing  the  toast  above  proposed, 
called  for  an  answer  from  Hon.  SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES,  former 
President  of  the  Board  of  Canal  Commissioners  of  the 
State  of  New- York,  and  a  Director  of  the  Erie  Railway  in 
its  early  stages. 

SPEECH  OF  HON.  SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES. 

The  nineteenth  century,  Mr.  CHAIRMAN,  begs  to  return 
you  its  respectful  acknowledgments  for  the  favorable  view 
of  its  character  presented  in  the  sentiment  just  proposed. 
If  there  be  aught  of  presumption  in  thus  speaking  in  its 
behalf  even  on  your  kind  invitation,  some  excuse  may, 
perhaps,  be  found  in  the  fact,  that  in  the  order  of  things, 
I  was  permitted  to  enter  the  world  but  a  few  weeks  after 
the  birth  of  the  century ;  that  I  have  lived  with  it,  through 
its  infancy,  its  early  youth,  its  advancing  and  advanced 
manhood,  up  to  this,  the  mellow  autumn  of  our  days. 
During  this  period,  I  have  seen  many,  if  not  most,  of  its 
men  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  some  on  the  other, 
whose  genius  and  energy  have  called  into  being  and 


70 

pushed  to  completion  the  public  works  of  intercommuni 
cation,  which  have  won  for  the  century  its  present  proud 
pre-eminence  in  the  history  of  the  world.  Among  these 
men,  conspicuously  stands  the  far-seeing,  self-sustaining, 
indefatigable  countryman  of  ours,  that  we  now  so  gladly 
welcome — the  civic  hero,  who,  after  years  of  conflict,  van 
quishing  and  enchaining  the  ocean,  has  reduced  it  to  cap 
tivity  for  the  service  of  man — the  peaceful  conqueror,  tri 
umphantly  returning  from  his  fifty  voyages,  to  receive 
the  outpouring  and  well-earned  gratitude  of  his  country 
and  of  the  human  race. 

The  story  of  this  matchless  victory  over  Nature,  has 
been  too  well  told  this  evening  to  need  any  addition,  so 
that  my  remarks  will  be  confined  to  one  or  two  of  the 
principal  continental  antecedents  which  stimulated  the 
great  achievement.  I  refer  especially  to  the  previous  pre 
paration  by  the  public  works  on  the  Western  and  on  the 
Eastern  Continents,  for  the  sublime  conjunction  which  we 
now  commemorate. 

The  necessity  and  the  duty  of  improving  and  reforming 
the  surface  of  the  globe  we  inhabit,  has  been  for  ages  the 
subject  of  difference  and  controversy. 

Mankind,  as  a  modern  writer  well  observes,  will  always 
consist  of  two  grand  divisions,  the  Hopeful  and  the  Fear 
ful.  The  former  school,  of  which  our  honored  guest  is  a 
shining  ornament,  and  to  which  I  humbly  claim  to  belong, 
holds  the  physical  improvement  of  the  outspread  lands 
and  waters  committed  to  the  care  of  Man  by  the  Great 
Architect  of  Nations,  which  shall  most  vigorously  and 
effectually  evolve  their  dormant  capacities,  to  be  not  only 
demanded  by  the  highest  national  interests,  political,  pe 
cuniary  and  moral,  but  an  absolute  and  solemn  duty,  ex 
pressly  enjoined  by  the  All-wise  Creator  in  His  primeval 
injunction  to  ''replenish  and  subdue  the  earth." 


71 

It  was  in  the  tender  infancy  of  our  present  century, 
that  the  important  secret  was  disclosed  to  Man  that  the 
waters  of  the  globe  might  be  practically  navigated  by 
steam.  It  was  my  privilege,  in  1807,  to  see  the  first 
slender  shallop  of  ROBERT  FULTON,  16^  feet  broad,  and 
130  feet  long,  partially  decked,  and  carrying  one  small, 
but  well  made,  engine,  ascend  the  Hudson.  Our  noble 
river  was  the  scene  of  his  first  success,  but  he  saw  and 
said  that  the  Mississippi  would  behold  his  final  and  great 
est  triumph.  Had  Providence  spared  his  precious  life  to 
the  present  hour,  he  would  have  seen  the  lineal  and  legiti 
mate  descendant  of  that  little  river  steamboat,  in  the 
u  Great  Eastern,"  the  giant  steamer  of  the  ocean,  not  only 
bearing  twenty  thousand  tons  with  two  thousand  miles  of 
telegraphic  cable  across  the  deep,  but  experimentally 
solving  the  tremendous  ocean  problem  of  strength  resist 
ing  stress,  and  scientifically  reducing  the  wildest  commo 
tion  of  the  Atlantic  to  an  algebraic  equation. 

It  was  but  little  more  than  twenty  years  from  this  first 
success  on  the  Hudson,  and  during  the  early  manhood  of 
our  century,  that  steam,  the  mightiest  monarch  of  modern 
days,  entered  on  its  next  career  of  conquest,  in  navigating 
the  land.  The  railway  locomotive  made  its  first  appear 
ance  on  our  continent  in  the  year  1829.  The  camel  has 
been  figuratively,  perhaps  fancifully,  denominated  the 
"ship  of  the  desert;"  but  is  not  the  train  of  a  thousand 
tons,  swiftly  drawn  by  the  locomotive  through  the  wilder 
ness;  with  equal  truth  a  railway  "fleet"  sailing  with  re 
doubled  speed  across  the  solid  land  ?  It  is  this  funda 
mental  transformation — this  fluidifying  the  earth,  so  to 
speak,  which  imparts  to  the  railway  its  transcendent  con 
tinental  power,  and  its  highest  political  value. 

It  has  been  the  steady  aim  during  the  present  century 
of  the  enlightened  projectors  of  the  public  works  within 


72 

the  limits  of  the  American  Union,  to  render  them,  as  far 
as  practicable,  continental  in  character. 

As  early  as  1810,  seven  years  before  the  Erie  Canal 
was  commenced,  DE  WITT  CLINTON  prophetically  saw  it, 
as  JEneas  saw  Rome,  in  all  its  future  grandeur.  His  eagle 
eye  could  not  be  limited  by  the  narrow  horizon  of  a  single 
State,  however  imperial.  He  saw  his  State,  in  all  its  am 
plitude,  as  only  the  receptacle  and  custodian  of  the  majestic 
trunk,  and  with  equal  clearness  of  vision  he  discerned  the 
widespread  and  outspread  branches  laden  with  golden 
fruit,  covering  the  magnificent  basin  of  the  Upper  Lakes 
and  the  vast  continental  Valley  of  the  Mississippi. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  1835,  the  first  spadeful  of  earth 
was  deposited  at  sunrise  on  the  Erie  Railway.  Within 
the  personal  knowledge  of  some  of  us  now  here,  that 
momentous  act  was  then  proclaimed  to  be  the  commence 
ment  of  one,  continuous,  continental  line  from  the  Bay  of 
New- York  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  In  the  thirty 
years  which  have  elapsed  since  the  birth  of  this  great 
artery,  it  has  been  connected,  directly  or  indirectly,  with 
the  whole  system  of  American  railways,  now  embracing  a 
lineal  extent  exceeding  thirty-six  thousand  miles, — while 
the  interior  links  of  the  yet  unfinished  chain,  under  the 
Presidency  of  General  Dix,  are  at  this  moment  eagerly 
advancing  westward  and  onward,  to  grapple  with  the 
giant  ranges  of  snow-clad  Cordilleras,  kindly  interposed 
by  Providence  to  try  our  courage,  between  the  Missouri 
and  our  Great  Western  Ocean. 

I  am  well  aware,  that  it  is  not  the  mere  expenditure  of 
money  that  makes  either  men  or  nations  great,  or  which 
can  give  to  centuries  a  just  historic  pre-eminence.  But  it 
nevertheless  may  be  well  to  know,  that  the  sum  already 
actually  expended  in  carrying  forward  the  railways  in  the 
American  Union,  now  exceeds  thirteen  hundred  and 


73 

eighty  millions  of  dollars.  It  far  transcends  the  total  ex 
penditure,  in  any  preceding  century,  by  any  and  all  of 
the  nations  of  the  earth,  upon  any  or  all  of  their  works  of 
intercommunication.  Nay,  more.  It  actually  exceeds 
the  sum  total  expended  by  all  the  civilized  nations  known 
in  history,  whether  ancient  or  modern, — whether  for 
roads,  or  bridges,  or  canals,  or  aqueducts,  or  lighthouses, 
or  artificial  ports, — in  the  long  line  of  eight  and  twenty 
centuries,  from  the  reign  of  Solomon,  the  first  "  internal 
improvement"  monarch  of  Israel,  to  the  death  of  the  first 
Napoleon,  within  the  present  century. 

Nor  have  our  neighbors  across  the  Atlantic  failed  to  do 
their  duty  to  the  age  we  live  in.  Within  the  same  thirty 
years,  railways  of  great  perfection  and  solidity  of  execu 
tion,  challenging  comparison  with  the  proudest  works  of 
utility  in  the  ancient  world,  have  made  their  way  into  the 
various  nations  of  European  Christendom,  until  the  scat 
tered  links,  at  first  disconnected,  have  virtually  come  to 
gether  in  one  continuous  European  continental  system, 
having  a  lineal  development  exceeding  thirty  thousand 
miles,  and  at  a  cost  exceeding  seven  hundred  millions  of 
pounds  sterling,  or  three  thousand  five  hundred  millions 
of  dollars. 

The  marvellous  changes  wrought  in  both  the  conti 
nents,  by  these  two  great  continental  systems  overspread 
ing  their  surface,  have  practically  transformed  or  reformed 
their  whole  commercial  anatomy.  The  new  arteries,  with 
the  hundreds  of  connecting  veins  opened  by  these  capa 
cious  channels,  richly  filled  with  the  vivifying  blood  of 
commerce  in  active  circulation,  have  imparted  new  and 
youthful  life  and  vigor  to  vast  districts  of  interior  or 
secluded  territory,  formerly  inaccessible,  inert  or  torpid, 
funishing  cheap  and  convenient  outlets  for  the  products 
of  their  industry  to  all  the  lands  and  waters  of  the  globe. 


74 

Not  to  mention  the  rapid  increase  of  population,  the  vig 
orous  communities  called  into  being,  the  greatly  increased 
power  of  locomotion  of  every  individual,  the  accelerated 
movement  of  national  forces,  and  the  many  other  elements 
of  political  strength,  the  yearly  saving  alone  in  the  cost 
of  transporting  persons  and  property,  in  each  of  the  con 
tinents,  is  now  at  least  five  hundred  millions  of  dollars ; 
which  immense  amount,  annually  swelling,  must  roll  on 
ward  and  upward  for  generations  to  come. 

But  what,  after  all,  was  the  power  of  saving  even 
these  enormous  sums  in  the  transportation  over  the 
continents  of  gross  material  products  in  persons  and 
property,  compared  with  the  higher,  more  intellectual, 
more  ethereal  office  of  expediting  and  cheapening  the 
transmission  of  intelligence  and  thought  throughout  their 
wide  expanse  ?  Teeming  as  they  were  with  the  added 
wealth  set  in  such  animated  motion,  had  not  the  electric 
telegraph  become  an  immediate,  an  absolute,  a  world- wide 
necessity  ?  Had  not  the  time  arrived,  for  our  own 
MORSE  to  appear  ?  Was  it  not  the  very  hour  for  the 
genius  of  the  nineteenth  century  to  wave  his  wand,  and 
evoke  from  the  deep  sleep  of  Nature  that  mysterious 
power,  by  whose  subtle  agency  time  and  space  might  be 
annihilated  ? 

The  first  slender  telegraphic  wire,  with  a  petty  electric 
apparatus  in  the  Capitol,  was  put  up  by  MORSE  between 
Washington  and  Baltimore  in  1844.  Within  twenty 
years,  it  ramified  through  all  the  States  of  the  American 
Union,  and  crossing  the  mountains  and  plains  of  the 
great  interior,  was  looking  out  on  the  Pacific.  Its 
lines,  ninety  thousand  miles  in  length,  under  the  powerful 
attraction  of  the  neighboring  Russian  Empire,  so  elo 
quently  depicted  this  evening,  were  stretching  up  the 
Pacific  coast  and  under  the  polar  circle,  to  reach,  by 


75 

an  immense  continental  circuit  of  nearly  ten  thousand 
miles,  the  Oriental  and  Southern  nations  of  Asia. 
Europe  was  also  vivified  by  a  connected  net- work 
of  wires  exceeding  sixty  thousand  miles  in  length, 
transmitting  its  varied  and  multiform  intelligence,  with 
lightning  speed,  to  its  Atlantic  coast.  Continental 
distance  on  land  had  ceased  to  exist,  but  a  yawning 
gulf  in  the  deep  abyss  of  the  Atlantic  yet  remained  to 
separate  the  Hemispheres. 

Such,  then,  were  the  continental  antecedents  which 
led  our  honored  guest  to  enter  on  his  long  and  arduous, 
but,  thanks  be  to  God,  his  victorious  career.  He  found 
the  Continents  mutually  glowing  with  the  fervor  of  their 
rich  and  newly  awakened  commerce,  gazing  wishfully 
at  each  other  across  this  ocean  gulf.  Marriage  had 
become  indispensable.  Our  distinguished  guest  was  the 
" Friar  Lawrence,"  who  "made"  them  "incorporate,  two 


in  one." 


This  difficult  achievement  in  thus  uniting  the  continents 
was  no  random  performance, — no  merely  fortunate  hit,— 
no  lucky  groping  in  the  dark.  So  far  from  that,  the 
animated  narrative  •  of  the  voyages  of  our  benefactor, 
destined  to  live  in  historic  literature  with  the  story  of 
COLUMBUS,  shows  him  incessantly  holding  up  the  lamp 
of  science,  not  only  guiding  his  path  to  sure  success, 
but  pointing  out  the  way  for  all  the  world  to  follow. 
This  it  is,  which  lends  to  his  great  success  its  highest, 
its  truly  world- wide  value.  The  geographical  delineation 
of  the  dark  and  hitherto  unfathomed  ocean  floor,  with  its 
myriads  of  microscopic  occupants  obediently  coming  up 
to  reveal  the  topography  of  their  deep  resting-place — 
the  accuracy,  delicacy  and  exquisite  efficiency  of  the 
electric  apparatus — the  mathematical  demonstration  ac 
curately  establishing  the  rate  of  speed  for  the  giant 


76 

steamer,  consistent  with  the  safety  of  the  telegraphic 
cable — all  these  weapons  of  thought,  so  potent  in  winning 
this  great  victory  over  Nature,  he  now  presents  not  alone 
to  his  patriotic  band  of  monied  associates,  to  whom  all 
honor  be  rendered,  but  to  all  the  governments  and 
peoples  of  the  civilized  world.  If  COLUMBUS,  in  the 
words  of  his  epitaph,  "  gave  a  new  world  to  Castile  and 
Leon,"  our  cosmopolitan  countryman  has  furnished  to 
both  the  worlds,  the  precious  scientific  knowledge 
needed  for  binding  themselves  forever  in  harmonious 
conjunction. 

Here,  then,  we  pause.  We  have  lived  to  see  but 
a  portion  of  the  wondrous  epic  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  The  rest  is  yet  to  come.  But  some  of  us 
now  here  will  live  to  see  its  close,  with  a  free  and 
intelligent  population  of  a  hundred  millions  busy  with 
the  glorious  lands  and  waters  of  the  American  Union, 
u  now  and  forever  one  and  indivisible."  They  will  then 
behold  the  whole  available  bed  of  the  Atlantic  brought 
by  full  and  careful  surveys  to  geographical  certainty, 
enchained  or  enslaved  by  no  single  work,  but  striped 
with  cables  at  all  proper  and  convenient  intervals 
uniting  the  nations  of  Western  Europe  with  the 
American  coast,  and  reducing  to  the  lowest  practicable 
minimum  the  cost  of  daily  and  hourly  intercommuni 
cation  between  the  Continents — and  they  may  also 
behold  regenerated  Africa  holding  close  communion 
with  all  its  emancipated  brethren  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere,  whether  north  or  south  of  the  Equator. 
Then  will  our  nineteenth  century,  already  so  rich  with 
well-directed  efforts,  so  pregnant  with  sublime  results, 
fill  up  its  fullest  measure  of  historic  fame — then  may 
it  lie  contentedly  and  confidently  down  in  the  common 
grave  of  the  buried  ages,  and  leave  its  great  example  for 


77 

the  guidance  and  encouragement  of  all  who  may  follow 
"  to  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  Time."     (Applause.) 

The  CHAIRMAN  read  the  two  following  toasts,  to  which 
there  was  no  time  for  reply  : 

The  City  of  New-York — The  front  door  of  the  New  World,  whose 
bell-pull  is  now  on  the  cliffs  of  Valentia. 

The  Cable  and  the  Press. — Emitting  light  from  the  sea,  and  spreading 
it  abroad — they  illuminate  the  world. 

The  former  of  these  was  to  have  been  responded  to  by 
Hon.  JOHN  T.  HOFFMAN,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  New-York, 
and  the  latter  by  the  Rev.  HENRY  WARD  BEECHER  ;  but 
in  consequence  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour  these  gentle 
men  had  departed  to  their  homes. 

The  CHAIRMAN  said,  the  last  toast  on  the  list  was 
THE  LADIES  : 

Who,  oh  who,  with  woman  near, 
Forgets  not  earth  and  its  every  thrall ; 

Oh !  who  but  feels  that  woman  dear, 
Though  last,  was  the  crowning  gift  of  all ! 

(Drank  all  standing.) 

A  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  Messrs.  WILLIAM  T. 
BLODGETT,  MARSHALL  LEFFERTS,  WILLIAM  E.  DODGE,  JR., 
Louis  LANG,  RICHARD  M.  HUNT,  JAMES  LORIMER  GRAHAM, 
JR.,  and  GEORGE  WILSON,  Committee  of  Arrangements,  to 
which  Mr.  Louis  LANG  made  a  brief  response.  Referring 
to  the  artistic  decorations  of  the  room,  which  represented 
the  earth  as  in  telegraphic  communication  with  the  sun 
and  moon,  he  said  he  had  communicated  with  the  celestial 
bodies,  (he  could  not  tell  the  secret  how,)  and  engaged 
them  to  take  part  in  the  exercises.  This  explained  the 
failure  of  the  meteoric  display,  that  had  been  announced. 


78 

There  could  be  no  shower ;  for  they  were  all  "  booked 
on"  here.  (Laughter.) 

Mr.  OPDYKE  :  I  have  a  single  motion  to  make,  and 
it  is  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Chairman  of  the  evening, 
for  the  able  and  courteous  manner  in  which  he  has 
presided  over  this  festival.  You  will  feel  it  is  eminently 
his  due,  when  I  state  that  for  a  whole  week  his  time  has 
been  engrossed  by  correspondence  and  other  duties  inci 
dent  to  this  occasion. 

Carried,  with  warm  applause. 

The  band  then  played  a  parting  air,  and  the  company 
slowly  retired,  having  enjoyed  an  evening  long  to  be 
remembered. 


INVITED    GUESTS    PRESENT. 


HON.  LAFAYETTE  S.  FOSTER,  Acting  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

ADMIRAL  DAVID  G.  FARRAGUT,  U.  S.  Navy. 

MAJOR-GENERAL  GEORGE  G.  MEADE.  U.  S.  Army. 

REAR-ADMIRAL  CHARLES  H.  BELL,  U.  S.  Navy. 

COMMODORE  CADWALADER  RINGGOLD,  U.  S.  Navy. 

CAPTAIN  ALEXANDER  M.  PENNOCK,  U.  S.  Navy. 

GENERAL  WILLIAM  F.  SMITH,  U.  S.  Army. 

H.  E.  SENHOR  D'AZAMBUJA,  Minister  from  Brazil. 

H.  E.  DOMINGO  FAUSTINO  SARMIENTO,  Minister  of  the  Argentine  Rep. 

GAULDREE  BOILLEAU,  ESQ.,  Consul-General  for  France. 

C.  EDWARD  HABICHT,  ESQ.,  Consul-General  for  Sweden. 

HON.  JOHN  T.  HOFFMAN,  Mayor  of  New-York  City. 

HON.  STEPHEN  J.  FIELD,  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

HON.  HENRY  E.  DAVIES,  Judge  of  Court  of  Appeals  of  New-York. 

HON.  DANIEL  P.  INGRAHAM,  Judge  Supreme  Court  of  New-York. 

HON.  JOSIAH  SUTHERLAND, 

HON.  THOMAS  W.  CLERKS, 

HON.  ANTHONY  L.  ROBERTSON,  Judge  Superior  Court      " 

HON.  CLAUDIUS  L.  MONELL, 

HON.  JOHN  M.  BARBOUR, 

HON.  SAMUEL  JONES, 

HON.  JOHN  H.  McCUNN, 

HON.  CHARLES  P.  DALY,  Judge  Court  Common  Pleas, 

HON.  JOHN  R.  BRADY, 

HON.  RICHARD  O'GORMAN. 

HON.  HORACE  GREELEY. 

HON.  HENRY  J.  RAYMOND. 

HON.  JAMES  BROOKS. 

HON.  GEORGE  BANCROFT. 

HON.  EZRA  CORNELL. 

HON.  JOHN  JAY. 

HON.  DAVID  A.  WELLS. 


80 

MOST  REV.  JOHN  McCLOSKET,  Archbishop  of  New-York. 

REV.  WILLIAM  ADAMS,  D.  D. 

REV.  HENRY  W.  BELLOWS,  D.  D. 

REV.  STEPHEN  H.  TYNG,  D.  D. 

REV.  ROSWELL  D.  HITCHCOCK,  D.  D. 

REV.  SAMUEL  OSGOOD,  D.  D. 

REV.  HENRY  M.  FIELD,  D.  D. 

REV.  THOMAS  E.  VERMILYE,  D.  D. 

REV.  HENRY  WARD  BEECHER. 

REV.  JOSEPH  T.  DURYEA,  D.  D. 

REV.  A.  N.  LITTLEJOHN,  D.  D. 

REV.  THOMAS  DE  WITT,  D.  D. 

REV.  GEORGE  L.  PRENTISS,  D.  D. 

REV.  EDWARD  A.  WASHBURN,  D.  D. 

REV.  JAMES  G.  CRAIGHEAD. 

FREDERICK  A.  P.  BARNARD,  LL.  D.,  President  Columbia  College. 

MARK  HOPKINS,  LL.  D.,  President  Williams  College,  Mass. 

HORACE  WEBSTER,  LL.  D.,  President  New-York  Free  College. 

ISAAC  FERRIS,  LL.  D.,  President  New-York  University. 

REV.  JOHN  MACLEAN,  D.  D.,  President  Princeton  College. 

ALONZO  CRITTENDEN,  LL.  D.,  Principal  Packer  Institute,  Brooklyn. 

DAVID  H.  COCHRAN,  LL.  D.,  Principal  Polytechnic  Institute, 

PROFESSOR  THEODORE  W.  DWIGHT,  LL.  D. 

FRANCIS  LIEBER,  LL.  D. 

PROFESSOR  J.  E.  HILGARD,  of  the  Coast  Survey,  Washington. 

DR.  ISAAC  I.  HAYES,  of  the  Arctic  Expedition. 

CHARLES  O'CONOR,  ESQ. 
WILLIAM  M.  EVARTS,  ESQ. 
CHARLES  A.  DANA,  ESQ. 
DAVID  M.  STONE,  ESQ. 
CHESTER  P.  DEWEY,  ESQ., 
SIDNEY  E.  MORSE,  JR.,  ESQ. 
FRANK  LESLIE,  ESQ. 
EDWARD  GARY,  ESQ. 
CHARLES  NORDHOFF,  ESQ. 
JAMES  TINKER,  ESQ. 
HENRY  E.  PIERREPONT,  ESQ. 
J.  CARSON  BREVOORT,  ESQ. 
FREDERICK  DE  PEYSTER,  ESQ. 
HOWARD  POTTER,  ESQ. 
PROSPER  M.  WETMORE,  ESQ. 
JOSHUA  M.  VAN  COTT,  ESQ. 
O.  H.  PALMER,  ESQ. 
B.  N.  McALPINE,  ESQ. 
JAMES  LORIMER  GRAHAM,  JR.,  ESQ. 
LOUIS  LANG,  ESQ. 


81 


PERRY  McDONOUGH  COLLINS,  ESQ. 
THOMAS  WALSH,  ESQ. 
THOMAS  T.  ECKERT,  ESQ. 
ALFRED  BIERSTADT,  ESQ. 
EMANUEL  LEUTZE,  ESQ. 
LE  VICOMTE  CHORBAL. 
AUGUSTUS  E.  MASTERS,  ESQ. 
RICHARD  M.  HUNT,  ESQ. 
WILLIAM  E.  EVERETT,  ESQ. 
CHARLES  FORSTMAN,  ESQ. 
CAPTAIN  EDWARD  G.  LOTT. 
HIRAM   SIBLEY,  ESQ. 
JOHN  HORNER,  ESQ. 
DUDLEY  FIELD,  ESQ. 
WILLIAM  F.  JUDSON,   ESQ. 
CHARLES  GOOCH,  ESQ. 
CHARLES  P.  KIRKLAND,  ESQ. 
CAMBRIDGE  LIVINGSTON,  ESQ. 
THOMAS  McELRATH,  ESQ. 
R.   W.  LOWBER,   ESQ. 
JOHN  CROSBY  BROWN,  ESQ. 
CHARLES  D.  DICKEY,  ESQ. 
CHARLES  L.  TIFFANY,  ESQ. 
THOMAS  C.  ACTON,  ESQ. 
JOHN  A.  KENNEDY,  ESQ. 
RICHARD  GRANT  WHITE,  ESQ. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 


THE  following  are  among  the  letters  received  by  the  committee  in  re 
ply  to  the  card  of  invitation : 

Letter  from  tJie  President  of  the  United  States. 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION, 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,Nov.  10, 1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  have  received  your  invitation  to  meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  at  a  din 
ner  to  be  given  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  New- York,  on  the  15th 
instant,  for  the  purpose  of  exchapging  "  congratulations  on  the  happy 
result  of  his  efforts  in  the  great  work  of  uniting  by  telegraph  the  Old 
World  with  the  New,"  and  regret  that  the  pressure  of  public  business  will 
not  permit  me  to  join  you  in  doing  honor  to  the  eminent  citizen  whose 
name  is  so  inseparably  connected  with  that  great  achievement. 

I  am,  gentlemen, 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

ANDREW  JOHNSON. 
Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 

WM.  E.  DODGE  and  others, 

Committee  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  New-  York. 


Letter  from  Hon.  SALMON  P.  CHASE,  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States. 

WASHINGTON,  Nov.  13,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  am  very  sorry  that  I  cannot  leave  Washington  this  week,  and  so  can 
not  avail  myself  of  your  kind  invitation  to  join  you  in  congratulation  to 
Mr.  FIELD  upon  the  success  of  his  grand  undertaking.  It  is  the  most 
wonderful  achievement  of  civilization ;  and  to  his  sagacity,  patience, 
perseverance,  courage  and  faith  is  civilization  indebted  for  it. 


84 

New-York,  already  the  greatest  city  of  America,  and  destined  to  be 
come  the  greatest  city  of  the  world,  honors  herself  by  honoring  a  citi 
zen  so  deserving  and  so  distinguished.  His  success  has  brought  her 
commerce  within  hail  of  every  considerable  port  in  Europe.  The  At 
lantic  Telegraph,  his  work,  in  connexion  with  the  Russian  American 
Telegraph,  originated  by  another  citizen  of  your  State,  will  make  the 
merchants  of  New-York  next  door  neighbors  to  all  the  merchants  of  the 
earth. 

Such  works  entitle  their  authors  to  distinguished  rank  among  public 
benefactors.  You  will  write  the  name  of  your  honored  guest  high  upon 
that  illustrious  roll,  and  there  it  will  remain  in  honor,  while  oceans  divide 
and  Telegraphs  unite  mankind. 

Yours,  very  respectfully, 

S.  P.  CHASE. 

Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 
WM.  E.  DODGE, 
JONATHAN  STURGES, 
STEWART  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES, 

Committee  of  Chamber  of  Commerce,  New-  York. 


Letter  from  Hon.  EDWIN  M.  STANTON,  Secretary  of  War. 
f 

WAR  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON  CITY,  ) 
November  8,  1866.     .  j 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  invitation  to 
meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  at  dinner,  on  the  ]  5th  instant,  and  regret  my 
inability  to  be  present  on  that  occasion. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

EDWIN  M.  STANTON. 
Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OYDYKE,  &c., 

Committee  of  Chamber  of  Commerce. 


85 


Letter  from  Hon.  GIDEON  WELLES,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  November  13,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  am  honored  with  your  invitation  to  meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  at 
dinner,  on  the  15th  instant,  to  exchange  congratulations  on  the  happy 
result  of  his  efforts  in  the  great  work  of  uniting  by  Telegraph  the  Old 
World  with  the  New. 

I  shall  be  happy  on  all  occasions  to  participate  in  awarding  honors  to 
the  indomitable  energy,  personal  worth,  and  public  services  of  Mr.  FIELD, 
but  shall  be  unable  to  be  present  with  you  on  the  15th  instant. 

With  special  regards  to  him,  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the 
State  of  New-York,  and  to  yourselves,  individually, 

I  am,  very  respectfully, 

GIDEON  WELLES. 
Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 
WM.  E.  DODGE, 
JONATHAN  STURGES, 
STEWART  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES, 

Committee. 


Letter  from  Hon.  HUGH  McCuLLocn,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

TREASURY  DEPARTMENT,  Nov.  8,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

My  official  duties  will  not  permit  me  to  accept  your  kind  invitation  to 
meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  at  dinner,  at  the  Metropolitan  Hotel,  on  the 
15th  instant. 

I  regard  it  an  honor  to  be  invited  to  join  my  fellow-citizens  in  New- 
York,  in  paying  honor  to  one  whose  name  will  be  forever  associated  with 
the  great  enterprise  of  the  age,  the  success  of  which  is  to  be  attributed 
mainly  to  his  strong  faith  and  wonderful  persistency.  TKe  people  of  the 
United  States  have  reason  to  be  proud  of  Mr.  FIELD,  and  they  are  proud 
of  him.  I  am  pleased  to  know  that  you  propose  to  give  expression  to  the 


86 

public  sentiment  in  a  manner  that  cannot  fail  to  bo  gratifying  to  him 
and  honorable  to  New-York. 

I  am,  very  truly, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

HUGH  McCuLLOCH. 
Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 
WM.  E.  DODGE, 
JONATHAN  STURGES, 
STEWART  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES, 

Committee,  New-  York. 


Letter  from  General  U.  S.  GRANT,  U.  8.  Army. 

HEADQUARTERS  ARMIES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

WASHINGTON,  D.  0.,  Nov.  8,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

Your  kind  invitation  to  me  to  meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  at  dinner  on 
the  15th  inst.,  to  exchange  congratulations  on  the  success  of  the  great 
enterprise  which  has  engaged  so  much  of  his  time  for  some  years,  is  re 
ceived.  It  would  afford  me  great  pleasure  to  be  able  to  accept,  but  I  fear 
other  engagements  will  prevent.  Allow  me,  however,  to  express  my  ap 
preciation  of  the  enterprise  which  Mr.  FIELD  has  been  engaged  in,  and 
to  congratulate  him  upon  the  success  which  finally  was  attained  through 
his  perseverance. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

With  great  respect, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

U.  S.  GRANT, 

General. 
To  A.  A.  Low  and  Gentlemen  of  Committee. 


Letter  from  Hon.  JOHN  A.  Dix,  Minister  to  France. 

NEW-YORK,  Nov.  14, 1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

It  is  with  sincere  regret  that  I  find  myself  unable  to  accept  your  in 
vitation  to  meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  at  dinner  to-morrow,  and  exchange 
congratulations  with  hinron  the  happy  result  of  his  efforts  to  unite  by 


8T 

telegraph  the  Old  World  and  the  New.  The  whole  commercial  commu 
nity — and,  I  may  add,  the  whole  community  of  nations — owe  him  a 
debt  of  gratitude  which  cannot  well  be  repaid.  He  has  not  only  ex- 
hibite'd  extraordinary  genius  in  carrying  out  the  great  enterprise  of 
which  he  has  been  the  chief  promoter  and  agent,  but  he  has  displayed 
that  which  is  often  better  than  genius,  a  steady  and  determined  persist 
ence,  which  no  obstacle  or  discouragement  could  overcome.  I  am  most 
happy  to  unite  with  you — though  I  cannot  do  so  personally — in  the  ex 
pression  of  my  respect  for  his  energy  and  perseverance,  and  my  gratifica 
tion  at  a  success  so  triumphant  for  him  and  so  beneficial  to  mankind,  by 
facilitating  the  intercommunication  of  intelligence  and  thought. 
I  am,  very  respectfully  yours, 

JOHN  A.  Dix. 

Messrs.  A.  A.  Low,  ") 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 

WM.  E.  DODGE, 

_  >  Committee. 

JONATHAN  OTURGES, 

STEWART  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES,  J 


Letter  from  Vice-Admiral  DAVID  D.  PORTER,  U.  8.  Navy. 

U.  S.  NAVAL  ACADEMY,  ANNAPOLIS,  MD.,  Nov.  7,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  :  I  have  received  your  polite  invitation  to  meet  Mr.  CYRUS 
W.  FIELD  at  dinner  on  the  15th,  "  to  exchange  congratulations  on  the  happy 
result  of-  his  efforts  in  uniting  by  telegraph  the  Old  and  New  Worlds." 
It  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  accept  your  invitation,  but  the 
pressure  of  my  official  duties  will  prevent  my  attendance. 
I  am,  gentlemen,  very  respectfully,        ^^ 
Your  obedient  servant,    ' 

DAVID  D.  PORTER, 
Vice-Admiral  and  Sup't  N.  A. 
Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEO.  OPDYKE, 

WM.  E.  DODGE  and  others,  Committee. 


Letter  from  His  Excellency  Sir  FREDERICK  BRUCE,  Enwy  Extraordinary  and 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  from  Great  Britain  at  Washington. 

BRITISH  LEGATION,  WASHINGTON,  Nov.  8,  1866. 
Sir  FREDERICK  BRUCE  has  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 


the  invitation  to  be  present  at  the  dinner  given  to  Mr.  FIELD  on  the 
completion  of  the  Atlantic  Telegraph.  He  would  gladly  have  attended 
at  the  tribute  so  justly  paid  to  the  energy  and  exertion  of  Mr.  FIELD  in 
carrying  through  this  great  enterprise,  but  his  engagements  put  it  out  of 
his  power  to  leave  Washington  at  present. 

To  the  Committee,  Chamber  of  Commerce,  New  -  York. 


Letter  from  His  Excellency  Senor  M.  ROMERO,  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minis 
ter  Plenipotentiary  for  Mexico  at  Washington. 

LEGACION  MEXICANA  EN  LOS  E.  UNIDOS  DE  AMERICA, 

WASHINGTON,  November  *lth,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  had  the  honor  of  receiving  this  morning  the  invitation  with  which 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  State  of  New- York  favored  me,  to 
meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD  at  dinner,  on  Thursday,  the  15th  instant,  at 
six  o'clock,  P.  M.,  at  the  Metropolitan  Hotel,  in  the  City  of  New-York, 
to  exchange  congratulations  on  the  happy  result  of  his  efforts  in  the 
great  work  of  uniting  by  telegraph  the  Old  World  with  the  New. 

It  would  afford  me,  gentlemen,  very  great  pleasure  were  I  allowed  to 
do  so,  to  participate  in  that  significant  demonstration  with  which  the 
great  City  of  New-York  celebrates  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  and 
useful  feats  of  human  skill  and  perseverance.  But,  unfortunately,  my 
public  duties  at  this  critical  period  for  my  country  will  not  permit  me 
to  leave  Washington  for  the  present. 

I  most  heartily  congratulate  the  merchants  of  New-York  who  have 
contributed  so  much  to  the  success  of  that  enterprise  in  which  the  Gov 
ernment  and  people  of  Mexico  have  so  deep  an  interest,  hoping  soon  to 
be  able  to  fully  reap  its  advantages. 

I  am,  gentlemen,  with  high  respect, 
Your  most  obedient  servant, 

M.  ROMERO. 
Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 


GEORGE  OPDTKE, 
WM.  E.  DODGE, 
JONATHAN  STURGES, 
STEWART  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES, 


Committee  of  Invitation 
of  the  Neic-  York  Cham 
ber  of  Commerce,  New 
York  City. 


89 


Letter  from  Hon.  E.  D.  MORGAN,  of  the  United  States  Senate. 

NEW-YORK,  November  13,  1866. 

GENTLEMEN  : 

I  have  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  invitation  to  meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W. 
FIELD  at  dinner  on  Thursday  next,  to  exchange  congratulations  on  the 
happy  result  of  his  efforts  in  the  great  work  of  constructing  the  Atlantic 
Telegraph. 

I  shall  be  deprived  the  pleasure  of  accepting  the  invitation,  but  this 
compliment  to  Mr.  FIELD  is  most  richly  deserved ;  for  if  there  is  any  one  man 
to  whom,  more  than  to  any  other,  and  to  all  others  combined,  the  country 
is  indebted  for  having  been  chiefly  instrumental  in  uniting  by  telegraph 
through  mid-ocean  "  the  Old  World  with  the  New,"  that  man  is  CYRUS 
W.  FIELD. 

The  fire  that  he  kindled,  and  which  now  runs  from  shore  to  shore, 
will  illuminate  both  continents,  and  by  its  bright  light,  nations,  as  well  as 
individuals,  will  be  conducted  to  a  higher  degree  of  civilization,  and  to  a 
greater  progress. 

No  one,  then,  need  be  surprised  at  an  outburst  of  gratitude  t,o  the 
individual  who  had  the  genius  to  conceive  this  magnificent  but  perilous 
undertaking,  and  the  courage  and  determination  to  continue  in  it  to  the 
end. 

All  honor  to  Mr.  FIELD,  the  author  and  projector  of  the  "  Atlantic 
Cable,"  and  honor  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  for  their  compliment  to 
their  fellow-citizen. 

And  now,  gentlemen,  let  us  use  this  cable ;  use  it  often  and  freely,  by  day 
and  by  night,  in  our  public  affairs,  in  our  social  relations  and  for  commer 
cial  purposes.  None  can  estimate  or  anticipate  how  largely  our  interests 
will  be  promoted  by  doing  so.  Besides,  in  no  other  way  can  we  so  prac 
tically  and  sufficiently  compliment  and  remunerate  its  originator  for  the 
untold  benefit  he  has  conferred  upon  mankind. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

With  great  esteem, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

E.  D.  MORGAN. 

To  Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 

WILLIAM  E.  DODGE  and  others,  Committee. 


90 


Letter  from  Hon.  CHAELES  Son? EH,  of  the  United  States  Senate. 

BOSTON,  November  14,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  regret  much  that  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  unite  with  you  in  tribute 
to  Mr.  FIELD,  according  to  the  invitation  with  which  you  have  honored 
me. 

There  are  events  which  can  never  be  forgotten  in  the  history  of 
civilization.  Conspicuous  among  these  was  the  discovery  of  the  New 
World  by  CHRISTOPHER  COLUMBUS.  And  now  a  kindred  event  is  added 
to  the  list.  The  two  worlds  are  linked  together. 

In  this  work  Mr.  FIELD  has  been  pioneer  and  discoverer.     As  such  his 
name  will  be  remembered  with  that  gratitude  which  is  bestowed  "upon 
the  world's  benefactors.     Already  his  fame  has  begun. 
Accept  my  thanks,  and  believe  me,  gentlemen, 
Faithfully  yours, 

CHARLES  SUMNER. 
To  Committee,  <&c. 


Letter  from  Prof.  JOSEPH  HENRY,  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

SMITHSONIAN  INSTITUTION,  WASHINGTON,  Nov.  12,  1866. 

To  the  Committee  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  New-  York  : 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  have  delayed  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  your  kind  invitation  to 
be  present  at  the  congratulatory  dinner  to  be  given  to  Mr.  CYRUS  W. 
FIELD,  on  account  of  the  success  of  his  labors  in  joining  the  Old  and  the 
New  World  in  electrical  sympathy,  hoping  to  be  able  to  accept  it,  but  I 
have  now  to  regret  that  I  find  it  incompatible  with  previous  engagements 
to  be  in  New-York  at  the  time  specified. 

I  beg  to  assure  you  that  I  highly  appreciate  the  honor  of  the  invita 
tion,  and  that  it  would  be  a  source  of  gratification  to  be  present  on  the 
occasion,  and  to  offer  Mr.  FIELD  in  person  my  heartfelt  congratulations 
on  the  happy  termination  of  his  persevering  efforts  to  accomplish  an  ob 
ject  so  intimately  connected  with  the  advance  of  humanity. 

Science  having  developed  the  principles,  and  art  having  devised 
the  means  for  the  practical  accomplishment  of  the  desired  end,  there 


91 

was  still  wanting  a  man  of  enthusiastic  temperament,  enlarged  views 
as  to  the  importance  of  the  object,  persuasive  powers  to  convince 
others,  business  talents  of  high  order,  persevering  industry  and  in 
domitable  energy.  All  these  requisites  have  been  found  happily  blended 
in  Mr.  CYRUS -W.  FIELD,  and  he  has  been  the  chosen  one  to  complete  an 
enterprise  which  marks  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  civilization. 

Mr.  FIELD  has  not  in  his  unparalleled  efforts  been  actuated  by  the  mere 
hope  of  pecuniary  gain,  but  by  that  cherished  feeling  of  a  noble  mind, 
the  desire  to  deserve  and  obtain  the  approbation  of  his  fellow-men — to 
honorably  connect  his  name  with  history,  and  to  live  in  the  memory  of 
the  good  when  he  shall  have  finished  his  career  upon  earth. 

Such  an  incentive  to  action  is  allied  to  our  higher  moral  nature,  springs 
from  our  instincts  of  immortality,  and  should  in  all  cases  of  its  manifesta 
tion  be  cherished  and  encouraged. 

It  is  therefore  abundantly  proper,  that  Mr.  FIELD  should  receive  the 
cordial  greetings  of  his  friends  and  the  public,  and  that  the  Government 
itself  should  bestow  upon  him  marks  of  its  approbation.  Such  demon 
strations  are  not  only  proper  in  themselves,  but  are  even  expedient,  if  we 
allow  a  motive  of  this  kind  to  influence  our  acts;  they  serve  to  stimulate 
others  to  similar  efforts,  and  tend  to  increase  the  good  and  diminish  the 
evil  incident  to  our  present  condition. 

In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  say,  that  I  have  more  pleasure  in  express 
ing  these  sentiments  in  regard  to  Mr.  FIELD,  than  I  would  have  in  em 
bracing  the  opportunity  you  have  so  kindly  given  me,  of  speaking  of  my 
own  early  labors  in  regard  to  the  telegraph.  The  associations  connected 
with  these  are  not  those  of  unalloyed  pleasure,  and  I  would  prefer  to  leave 
it  to  history  to  make  the  proper  award,  than  to  say  any  thing  myself 
which  might  call  forth  discussion. 

I  am,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

JOSEPH   HENRY. 


Letter  from  THOMAS  HILL,  LL.  D.,  President  of  Harvard  College. 

CAMBRIDGE,  MASS.,  November  13,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  much  regret  to  find  myself  compelled  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  meet 
ing  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  inVited  guests,  to  exchange  congratu- 


92 

laticms  with  each  other,  and  with  Mr.  FIELD  on  the  success  of  the  great 
work  of  uniting  by  telegraph  the  Old  World  with  the  New.  Believe  me,  I 
am  not  insensible  to  the  honor  of  receiving  your  invitation,  nor  indiffer 
ent  to  the  fact  that  the  ocean  no  longer  separates,  but  now  unites  the 
nations;  and  through  those  abysses  which  heathen  fan c}»  peopled  with 
uncouth  divinities,  Christian  hands  have  made  a  highway  for  Christian 
thought  and  speech. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

THOMAS  HILL. 
To  Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 

WM.  E.  DODGE, 

>    Committee. 
JONATHAN  GTURGES, 

STEWART  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES,  j 


Letter  from  GEORGE  PEABODY,  ESQ. 

ZANESVILLE,  OHIO,  November  8th,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

I  sincerely  regret  that  I  cannot  be  present  at  the  dinner  you  propose 
to  give  on  Thursday,  the  15th  inst,  in  honor  to  CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  on  the 
successful  laying  of  the  Atlantic  Telegraph  Cable.  The  industry,  per 
severance  and  ability  which  Mr.  FIELD  has  evinced  for  ten  years  past 
to  bring  this  great  work  to  a  successful  result,  entitle  him  to  great 
praise. 

Very  respectfully  and  truly  yours, 

GBORGE  PEABODY. 
To  A  A.  Low  and  others. 


Letter  from  BAYARD  TAYLOR,  ESQ. 

KENNETT  SQUARE,  PEORIA,  ILL.,  November  12,  1866. 
GENTLEMEN  : 

To  my  very  great  regret,  engagements  previously  made  prevent  me 
from  accepting  your  kind  invitation. 


93 

I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  a  guest  and  companion  of  Mr.  FIELD  on 
the  coast  of  Newfoundland,  in  the  summer  of  1855,  when  the  first  at 
tempt  was  made  to  lay  a  submarine  cable  across  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law 
rence.  Daring  that  voyage  I  learned  to  appreciate  his  wonderful 
patience,  energy  and  courage,  and  no  one  of  his  friends  can  more  re 
joice  in  the  final  triumph  which  these  qualities  have  achieved  for  him.  I 
was  in  Germany  when  the  success  of  the  first  transatlantic  cable  seemed  to 
be  assured,  and  at  that  time  contributed  to  the  newspapers  there  an  ac~ 
count  of  the  enterprise,  in  which  I  claimed  for  Mr.  FIELD  the  credit  which 
the  European  editors  then  gave  exclusively  to  his  English  associates.  I 
am  convinced  that  if  any  great  undertaking  was  ever  due  to  the  will  and 
the  faith  of  a  single  man,  then  the  honor  of  having  connected  Europe 
and  America  by  telegraph  belongs  to  CYRUS  W.  FIELD. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  gentlemen, 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

BAYARD  TAYLOR. 
To  Messrs.  A.  A.  Low, 

GEORGE  OPDYKE, 

WM.  E.  DODGE, 

T  „  V    Committee. 

JONATHAN  STURGES,     C 

STEWART  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  B.  RUGGLES,    I 


Letter  from  Hon.  GULIAN  C.  VERPLANCK. 

NEW-YORK,  14^  November,  1866. 

G.  C.  VERPLANCK  returns  his  sincere  thanks  to  the  Chamber  of  Com 
merce  for  the  kind  invitation  to  meet  Mr.  CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  on  the  15th 
inst,  to  exchange  congratulations  on  the  grand  results  of  his  arduous 
labors  in  uniting  the  Old  World  with  the  New  by  telegraph.  Mr.  VER 
PLANCK  cordially  joins  in  the  wide  and  warm  demonstrations  of  public 
gratitude,  of  which  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  New-York  is  the  most 
appropriate  and  honorable  representative. 

But  circumstances  beyond  his  control  oblige  him  reluctantly  to  de 
cline  this  pleasing  and  flattering  invitation. 

His  absence  from  the  city,  until  last  evening,  must  be  his  apology  for 
his  delay  in  replying  to  the  invitation. 


94 


Telegram  from  His  Excellency  HASTINGS  DOYLE,  Lieutenant-Governor  of  New- 

Brunswck. 

FREDERICTON,  N.  B., 

November  22,  1866. 
CYRUS  W.  FIELD,  Esq., 

New- York : 

A  card  of  invitation  to  meet  you  at  dinner  on  the  fifteenth  instant,  lias 
only  this  day  (twenty-second)  reached  me  from  Canada  with  Lord  MONCK'S 
signature  at  the  corner  of  the  envelope.  Had  I  received  it  in  due  time, 
although  it  would  have  been  inconvenient,  I  would  have  gone  to  assist  in 
doing  you  that  honor  you  so  richly  deserve.  Pray  accept  my  great  re 
gret  at  this  contretemps,  and  believe  in  the  sincerity  of  my  friendship  and 
admiration  of  your  indomitable  pluck. 

HASTINGS  DOYLE, 

Major  General  and  Administrator 

of  Government  of  New-Brunswick. 


